


Judicium

by Jen Hall (Greenlady)



Series: The Seidhrman [7]
Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Alternate Universe, Genderbending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-23
Updated: 2010-09-23
Packaged: 2017-10-12 03:07:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenlady/pseuds/Jen%20Hall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starsky and Hutch are preparing for the expansion of their family.</p><p>This is set in an Alternate Universe, where people have different standards from our own, and they speak a 'bastardized' form of Latin that would horrify Latin scholars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judicium

'What do you know about the property next to this one, Ma?'

'Why, David?' asked Rachel Starsky. 'Are you thinking of buying it?'

'Yes. Hutch and me need more room. We're having a baby.'

'Hutch is having a baby, David. You had your fun. Now it's her turn. Poor thing.'

'I'll be sure and pass that little gem of wisdom along, Ma. Hutch'll appreciate it. Now, do you know anything about the property next door, or don't you?'

'I might,' said Starsky's mother. 'And I might share my knowledge with you.'

'If you don't, Hutch and me will move back in with you.'

'Okay. It's been empty for years. Before we bought this villa, actually. There are several old buildings scattered over the property. A cottage of some kind. Stables. A very old temple, but no one knows to which God or Goddess.'

'And why is it empty? Do you know who owns the place?' asked Starsky.

'The Imperial Family, I believe,' said Rachel. 'I heard that the owner was convicted of treason, long ago. Back in the times of the assassinations, I think. He was executed, with all his familias, and his  
property was seized.'

'I'm not surprised that no one in the Royal Family wanted to live in it. But why didn't they sell it?'

'Perhaps they tried,' said Starsky's mother. 'And no one wanted to buy it.'

'I'll ask Marcus about it. He might sell it to us. Either that, or give it to us as a gift for our first child.'

'First child?' asked Rachel, in a voice filled with horror. 'You're going to force that poor woman to have more children?'

'Ma! Will you stop this abused woman act? I did not force Hutch to do anything. I can't imagine anyone being able to force Hutch to do anything. I wouldn't want to speculate on the life expectancy of anyone who tried to force Hutch to do anything. Now, why don't you come with me, and we'll check out the place. See if it might be suitable. Let's go ask Hutch if she wants to come along. Or would you like to watch while I try to force her to come along? Then pick up the pieces of my body afterwards?'

Rachel Starsky laughed. 'I don't think Hutch would actually kill you, son. She loves you enough to turn into a woman for you, and get pregnant by you. How many other men would do that?'

They strolled out to the villa courtyard. It was May, and warm and sunny. Hutch was sitting cross-legged on the grass. Mariko was sitting across from him. They were playing a game with little tiles. Mariko said it came from her land, the land of Nippon. She called it Mah Jong.

Hutch and Mariko had become friends, of a sort. Hutch was friendly. Mariko was warming to her friendship. She was a bit cool, and wary, but at least she no longer walked about like the living dead.

Hutch looked up at Starsky's entrance, and smiled.

'Ma and me are going to look at the property next door. Do you want to come?' Starsky asked.

Hutch smiled, as always, at the way Starsky talked when his mother was there. His persona changed, from the warrior, husband and lover, to that of the son. He talked less like the sophisticated world traveller, and more like the child who had grown up in the rough-and-tumble of the streets of Rome, and the Starsky Family Compound, as he called it.

'Why don't you and your mother go and look it over together? Let me know what you think, and if you like it, I'll go with you next time. Who owns it, anyway?'

'Marcus.'

'By all the Gods and Goddesses! Okay. If you like it, it's probably ours. Go have a look.'

'Yes, Master.'

'Starsky!' said Hutch.

'Come on, Ma. Let's get out of here, while I still have my balls.'

 

******************

 

The gate was old, and the locks were rusted. Starsky had brought his tools with him though, and finally he just cut the gate off its hinges.

'Hutch said it, Ma. If we like it, it's probably ours.'  
The path to the main building was winding and overgrown. Starsky was beginning to think they should have brought Viggo along, to scare off any bears lurking in the undergrowth. But, when they finally emerged from the jungle, the trip was clearly worth it.

The house was old, that was certain. Gothic, rather than classical Roman. Certainly not Greek. Hutch will love this place, Starsky thought. It doesn't matter if it gives me the creeps.

They walked all around the building, but didn't go inside. The place looked solid, and there was little danger that any of the floors would collapse under them, but Starsky didn't want to be confronted with the flora and fauna that surely inhabited it, after all these years sitting empty.

Guards with big guns, he thought. Gardeners with big scythes. Viggo with big teeth.

The temple was indeed many ages older than the main building. It was overgrown with ivy, and the altar looked as if something had gotten very hungry, and not been too picky about what it ate. It lay tumbled down the steps, abandoned like a child's toy.

'So?' said Rachel Starsky. 'What do you think?'

'I think our first child has its first gift.'

'David! This place is a mess.'

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'It needs help. Hutch will fall in love at first sight.'

 

*************************

 

'Marcus! What an unpleasant surprise.'

'It's wonderful to see you too, Colin. Is Mother around?'

'What am I? Her Steward? Your slave?'

'Don't put such fantasies in my head, Colin. I might be tempted to make them reality. Is Mother around?'

'I suppose she is. I don't pay attention to these things. It's not my job.'

'And what is your job, Colin? Exactly? I've never seen you working. If you need a job, I can find you one.'

'You're my brother, Marcus. Or at least Mother says you are. But that doesn't make you my master.'

'If you keep saying treasonous things like that, I might become your master, for the rest of your short life. Now, go find something useful to do.'

Marcus found a slave who had better manners, and she directed him to the courtyard off his father's private rooms. The Empress was there, puttering around the garden.

'Marcus!' she said. 'What a pleasant surprise.'

'Thank you, Mother. It's good to know someone loves me.'

'Many people love you, my dear.'

'I know,' said Marcus. 'One person in particular. And that's what I want to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere very private?'

 

********************

 

'Are you really thinking of buying this place, David?' asked Rachel Starsky.

'Yes. Hutch will have to see it first, of course. Why? Is there a problem?'

'Not for me. It's your business. But some members of the family might not agree.'

'I'm heartbroken to hear that. What could they possibly have to object to in Hutch and me buying an old, abandoned piece of property next door to our own villa? If anyone else wanted it, it's been sitting here unused for years.'

'It's not the property. It's you.'

'That's nice. What have I done now?'

'Well, you married a Norwegian. An aristocratic Norwegian.'

'The foster brother of the Crown Prince, don't forget.'

'Yes. And you ride around Rome with that very Crown Prince, in his fancy, expensive limousine. You've bought more slaves for your villa. Retired gladiators, for the Gods' sake. Your husband calls you his Lord.'

'Ah! They've heard that, have they?'

'Some of the family think you're getting a bit above yourself.'

'Only a bit?' asked Starsky.

******************************

 

The limousine was nice and private, thought Prince Marcus. They had been driving around Rome for some time, before his mother decided to comment.

'Do you think we've shaken them, my dear?'

'Them?'

'The them that's following us.'

'I don't think any them was following us, Mother. But who knows?'

'Would anyone really be interested in you and I having a private chat?'

Marcus laughed. 'The line forms at the right, Mother. There are dozens of people at this very moment, speculating on what we're talking about. In fact, they're betting about it.'

'You're right. Colin is probably offering rewards to whoever can give him reliable information.'

'Mother. Colin is a filthy-minded, useless little bugger.'

'I know dear. It runs in the family. But what is it that you do want to talk about? Is it safe for me to know?'

'Oh. Sorry. I wanted to tell you that I've fallen in love.'

'Well, I already knew that, Marcus.'

'She's wonderful. Her name is Sweet Angel.'

'Yes. I knew that, too.'

'I want to marry her, but there's a problem. You see, she's a prostitute, and I'm sure there are one or two members of the family who think she's not good enough for us. They're wrong, of course. It's the other way around, but....'

'I know, dear. We'll work something out. If anyone causes too much trouble, I'll just have them killed.'

'Thank you, Mother. I knew I could count on you.'

 

**************************

 

'Master? May I ask you a question?'

'Of course, Mariko. I can't promise you I'll answer, but you may ask.'

'Thank you, Master. It's not a personal question. Well, not that personal. It is merely that I would like to know... why did you buy me, Master? Why did you and Master David buy me? I am sorry for asking, but I've been wondering.'

'And it troubles you. You think perhaps we aren't being truthful when we say we will never order you to our bed, or touch you in any way.'

'Forgive me, Master.'

'No, Mariko. I mean, yes, I forgive you if you like. But forgiveness isn't necessary. You asked a valid question, for valid reasons. But, you see, we didn't buy you as a bed slave. We were in the slave market, looking for more guards. Some retired gladiators had just gone on sale. And then I saw you. You had qualities I was looking for. Not your obvious qualities of beauty and grace, though they are fine enough, and you decorate the villa. Much prettier than the gladiators, I assure you.'

'Thank you, Master. But what are these qualities, please?'

'This was something I always meant to discuss with you, Mariko, after you got settled in here. But so much has happened. I'm sorry you have been neglected, and perhaps have felt ill-used, or unwanted.'

'Oh no, Master. I did not feel ill-used. As for being unwanted, I felt confused about what I was wanted for. That is all.'

'What I saw in you, Mariko, was courage. And artistry. You are an artist, and a musician, aren't you? All this has been neglected by your former masters. You have become more and more unhappy, in your soul. You've become obsessed with the need to save your honour by committing suicide. Honour is an important thing, Mariko, but it isn't everything.'

'It is everything to a Samurai, Master.'

'Is it? Was it intended to be everything, or have you made it everything? It isn't for me to tell someone how to live their life, Mariko. I am being arrogant saying this much, I know.'

'You are my Master.'

'And so all is permitted? I don't agree. But, I wonder. What would your Gods say about it?'

Mariko sighed. 'I have not asked them, Master. I think they have abandoned me.'

'Don't assume that, Mariko. You might be wrong. They may have sent you to me, and I to you, for a purpose. Your life might have more meaning than honour. Or your honour might not have been lost, as you think now. Perhaps it is still there, waiting to return. Would it be welcome?'

'Yes, Master.'

Mariko didn't sound entirely convinced, but Hutch thought she sounded interested in the concept, at least.

'It is true that you are an artist, isn't it?'

'I used to paint, Master.'

'I like to paint, as well. But I think you are a greater artist than I am. Also, at first I thought you were from Cathay, from Chine, but I was wrong.'

'I am not from Chine, Master.' Mariko's face darkened a little at the name of the great country, far to the East. Interesting.

'But I think you speak Chinese, don't you? And read it as well?'

Mariko looked surprised. 'Yes, Master. How did you know?'

'I know these things,' said Hutch. 'I see them.'

Mariko bowed. 'I forgot, Master,' she said. 'You are a great witch. A Shaman. You know things that other people don't, because you see into the Spirit World. That is why you have become a woman, and you are carrying Master David's child. The baby will be a Shaman as well, I think.'

Hutch was silent for a long moment. 'Yes,' he said at last. 'I would have liked for the baby to be normal. It would have been happier.'

'Happiness is an important thing, but it isn't everything, Master. Life should have more meaning than happiness.'

Hutch smiled. 'You are very wise, Mariko,' he said.

 

***********************

'Ah, here we are.'

Hutch lifted several heavy books off a shelf.

'Let me help you with that, Master,' said Mariko.

Hutch clicked her tongue. 'Really, Mariko. You're getting to be as bad as my husband. I'm only a few weeks pregnant, not nine months. I'm not sitting around being waited on, hand and foot.'

'Of course not, Master. I'm sorry. I should know better, but....'

'This is all very unusual, I know. But here. These books are written in Chinese, aren't they? That's what the bookseller told us.'

'Yes. Chinese. Some of them. This one is in Nipponese.'

'They look the same to me,' said Hutch.

'We use the same characters, but I can tell from the way they're used. You see, the Chinese system of writing uses a different character for each word.'

'One character for each word!' Hutch was astonished. How could you learn such a system?

'Yes,' said Mariko. 'But that didn't work for us. So we use their characters, but we use them phonetically. And we add special characters of our own. See. This here. It's called a Kana. It helps us to understand what the word means.'

'I see,' said Hutch, not really seeing. But Mariko seemed to know what she was talking about.

'You can read the Chinese books, as well as the Nipponese?'

'Oh yes, Master.'

'Starsky and I want to know about Cathay. You see, a few months ago we acquired something interesting that comes from that country.'

'The silkworms, Master?'

'Yes. You knew they were from Cathay?'

'Oh, yes. We, in Nippon, tried to steal the secret of the silk once, but the attempt failed. It almost caused a war between our nations.'

'I think Rome is too far away for the people of Cathay to attack us,' said Hutch.

Mariko had been glancing through the books. One or two were in text only. But several had pictures. Mariko opened one of these. The pictures were beautiful. Full colour paintings. Very detailed full colour paintings.

Starsky had liked this book a great deal.

'Oh!' said Mariko. But she didn't look embarrassed. The picture showed a man and a woman in a garden. They wore loose robes, but the robes were arranged so that they didn't conceal all that much. The woman was bent over the edge of a fountain, and the man was behind her. One of his  
hands held her full, naked breast. The other was caressing her vulva, and he was in the act of entering her with his full cock.

Hutch blushed as she remembered the other day, when Starsky had insisted on enacting that scene in their own courtyard. Hutch had worried that a servant would come out to the courtyard and see them there.

'Let them look,' said Starsky. 'This is our own home. We'll do whatever we want in it.'

'Master?'

'Oh. Sorry, Mariko. Yes, they're very beautiful paintings. What does the text say?'

'It talks about orgasms, Master. And how to have them.'

'I should think that would be obvious.'

'Not always, Master. There are many different kinds of orgasms. Especially for women. I'm sure you must have noticed that.'

'I haven't been a woman very long. Certainly I've enjoyed the orgasms I've had. But I haven't really noticed any special kinds. Not yet, anyway.'

'Oh! I'm so sorry. Of course you haven't had much time to study the matter. Perhaps when you have more leisure.'

'I'm interested, Mariko. That's for certain. What does the book say about different orgasms?'

'Women's bodies are very complex. Our sexual responses are very fine, much finer than most men's. But that's only what I've read, of course. I've never been a man.'

Mariko was leafing through the book again. The next picture was of two men. One of them was asleep, clearly exhausted from making love. He was lying across the sleeve of the other man's robe. This man was in the act of cutting off his own sleeve.

'Ah, see. The love of the cut sleeve,' said Mariko. 'One of the Emperors of Chine loved a man so tenderly, that he cut off his own sleeve, rather than wake him. All the court was so impressed, that they named the love between two men, the love of the cut sleeve.'

'That's nice,' said Hutch. She sighed a little. She wondered if Starsky missed her male form.

'I love you,' he had told her, just last night. 'You. In whatever form you are in. Only you. You. You.'

There was a soft tap at the study door, and Starsky came in. He smiled when he saw Hutch, sitting beside Mariko on the couch.

'Hello,' he said. 'What are you two talking about.'

'Orgasms,' said Hutch. 'Did you know there were more than one kind?'

Starsky's eyes widened. 'No,' he said. 'You'll have to tell me more.'

 

****************

Starsky was deeply involved in a very technical discussion with Mariko over the existence of a spot inside the vagina which could give a woman an orgasm without clitoral stimulation. Mariko insisted it did exist. Starsky said he had tried to find it, so far without luck. Hutch was getting worried that Starsky would ask Mariko to demonstrate, purely out of scientific curiosity, when Ignatios scratched at the study door.

'Come in,' said Hutch, with heartfelt relief. Ignatios entered the study, two people behind him. One was Marcus. The other, a tall Black woman....

'....Her Imperial Majesty, Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and the Empress of... oof!'

'The Empress of Oof?' Hutch asked.

It was that very Empress who had poked Ignatios in the ribs.

'Please, man. Enough ceremony,' said Empress Makeda. 'When I leave the Palace, I like to leave the Palace.'

'I'm sorry, Your Majesty,' Ignatios protested.

'Thank you, Ignatios,' said Hutch. 'You may leave.'

'Thank you, Sir.'

A red faced Ignatios disappeared. He was very proud of his new freeman status, and a bit possessive of his dignity, but Hutch thought he would survive.

Marcus and his mother entered the study. Starsky jumped to his feet, looking rather pale. Hutch remembered then that he had never met the Empress. And here she was, walking into his study.

Prince Marcus spoke up. 'David Starsky, this is my mother, the Empress of Oof.'

'Thank you, my dear,' said Makeda. 'It's so nice to meet you, David Starsky. I've heard a lot about you, since I got back from Sheba. And about you, Kenneth. It's been a while since I saw you. How you've changed!'

'Yes, Your Majesty. I was a man, then. But I've decided to give womanhood a try.'

'Ah! Good idea. Variety is everything. And how are you finding it so far?'

'Well enough. Though I might change my mind in about eight months.'

'Yes. You might be relieved to get back to manhood.'

'But Mariko here tells me there are compensations. Apparently there are different kinds of orgasms.'

'Yes,' said Makeda. 'Good orgasms. Nice orgasms. Spectacular orgasms.'

'Please, Mother. You're embarrassing me.'

***************************

'So, Marcus,' said Starsky, when he recovered his equilibrium. 'I hear that you own the property next door.'

'I do?'

'Well, you do. Or your family does. Or the state does. Or something like that.'

'I think the family owns it,' said Makeda.

They were in the courtyard, and Ignatios had served them drinks, and slices of fresh fruit.

'If memory serves me, the former owner was a traitor, and on his death, and the death of his familias, the property passed to us.'

'So my mother tells me,' said Starsky. 'Hutch and I were thinking of buying it. We're going to need more room soon. When the baby comes.'

'Ah!' said Makeda. 'Babies need a lot of room.'

'My family thinks I'm too ambitious,' Starsky observed. 'I'm not.'

'Don't tell them that,' said Makeda. 'Just smile. Mysteriously. That will calm them. If you protest your innocence, you'll only look more guilty. But about the property, if you want to buy it, it's yours. Do you have a denarius?'

'A denarius, Your Majesty?'

'Yes. A denarius.... Thank you, David Starsky. You now own the villa next door. Marcus, you're my witness.'

'Fiat!'

'Well!' said Hutch. 'And I haven't even seen it yet.'

'We wanted to get it off our hands,' said the Empress. 'Thank you for your help.'

 

**********************

 

'I must say that I'm not sure about your plans for a Senate trial for these criminals. They should be summarily executed.'

'I agree, Mother. None of us are sure about this trial. But it seems to be the least of several possible evils. If we go on as we have, ignoring the Cult, insisting only on our own rights, we'll look arrogant. Uncaring about the concerns of the citizens of Rome.... No, no, wait. I agree that the Cult are not true citizens of Rome. But that's what we have to make clear and obvious to the true citizens of Rome. If Starsky executes John Smith in private, his family will protest that he was an innocent child, unjustly murdered. And some people will listen.'

'People have said such things before, and nothing has come of it,' said the Empress Makeda.

'But this is an organized group. They have leaders. They have a Plan. They have a Deity. They have Martyrs. All they need is a forum. All they need is a chance to garner more followers. People who have a grudge against the Caesars.'

'People who have a grudge against Rome,' Starsky offered.

'People who have a grudge against the Gods of Rome,' said Hutch.

'Yes,' said the Empress, finally. 'I see. We have to look just. We have to look as if we care.'

'We have to be just, Mother,' said Marcus.

'No, my dear,' said the Empress. 'We have to look just. Appearances are everything. A person can be good, and just, and all that is wonderful. But if no one can see it, of what use is their virtue?'

Ignatios came to the courtyard. 'I'm sorry to interrupt,' he said. 'But you asked me to let you know when we found that gentleman who helped you, Mister Starsky.'

'Ursus? You found him?'

'Yes,' said Ignatios. 'Or rather one of the other servants found him. He agreed to come here to speak to you.'

'Thank you, Ignatios. Why don't you bring him out here, so we can all thank him. And bring us more refreshments, if you please.'

'Of course, Sir.'

Ursus was ushered in, a few moments later. He was dressed even more wildly than before, perhaps in clothes left behind in the brothels of the Subura. Clothes not considered worthy of being sold in the second hand stores. Clothes which had been tossed into the alleys for the rag pickers.

He still managed to look quite impressive, and dignified.

'Ursus! I'm pleased to see you again,' said Starsky. 'I apologize for forgetting about rewarding you that day, but I had a lot on my mind.'

'I gathered that,' said Ursus. 'But you found your husband?'

'Yes. I found him. Alive, and reasonably well. We want to thank you.'

'Yes, Ursus,' said Prince Marcus. 'My thanks for your help. Kenneth Hutchinson is my foster brother, and I've been wanting to reward you, as well.'

Ursus looked a bit bewildered. An hour before, he had been wandering the alleys of the Subura. Now, he was being praised by the Crown Prince of the Roman Empire. Starsky made the introductions. trying to be casual, and put him at his ease.

'This is the Empress Makeda,' he said. 'Prince Marcus. And my husband, Kenneth Hutchinson.'

Ursus nodded at everyone, copying Starsky's casual manner, as if he met royalty every day. Of course, he may well have met some members of the royal family, in the alleys behind the brothels.

Hutch got to her feet, and went to shake Ursus' hand.

'I believe I owe you my life,' she said. 'I won't forget that.'

'It was nothing,' said Ursus. 'But... you are this man's husband?'

'Yes,' said Hutch. 'Most of the time. But sometimes I'm his wife.'

'Then I just have one question,' said Ursus.

'And what is that?' asked Hutch.

'Do you have a brother?'

'I'm sorry,' said Hutch. 'I don't have a brother.'

'That's a shame,' said Ursus.

'Not really,' said Hutch. 'I do have my foster brother, Marcus. He's worth any number of brothers by blood.'

'Thank you, my dear,' said Marcus. 'I feel the same about you. Which is why I'm trying to think of the best way to reward you, Mr. Ursus.'

'Not Mr. Ursus. Just Ursus,' said the man in question.

'Don't you have a second name?' asked the Empress.

'Not really,' said Ursus. 'People call me Ursus Complexus, sometimes.'

'What an interesting name,' the Empress commented.

Ursus Complexus just smiled.

'What sort of reward would make you happy?' asked Starsky. 'You helped me to recover my greatest happiness. I'd like to do the same for you.'

'Well, once upon a time, my family had a restaurant. But they lost it.'

'It went missing?' asked the Empress.

'Something like that,' said Ursus Complexus.

'I wish I could help you find it,' said Starsky. 'But perhaps it would be easier to help you buy a new one. What do you think, Marcus?'

'Yes. Let's all chip in. What restaurant do you have in mind, David?'

'There's one down the street. It's up for sale. Have you seen it, Ursus?'

'Yes,' said Ursus. 'Looks like it has possibilities.'

'It could do with some renovations,' Starsky pointed out. 'But this neighbourhood is on the rise. Make the place interesting, and you'll attract an interesting crowd.'

'I could do that,' said Ursus.

'Good,' said Starsky. 'And with your knowledge of the streets of the City, I might call on you to ask for information, once in a while.'

'Ah!' said Ursus. 'You want me to be a spy?'

'Only an informal one,' said Starsky. 'But yes. I want you to spy.'

'I can do that,' said Ursus. 'So it's a deal?'

'It's a deal,' said Starsky. 'You are all our witnesses?' he asked the others.

'Fiat!' said everyone.

'Would you all like to stay for dinner,' Hutch asked. 'We weren't planning on anything fancy. I felt like pizza, so I'm making some. I've never made it before. If Starsky doesn't like it....'

'I love pizza,' said Starsky.

'It sounds wonderful,' said the Empress. 'I'll take you up on that offer some day soon. But for now, my son wants me to meet another friend of his.'

'Ah,' said Hutch. 'Catching up on Marcus's life, are you?'

'Yes. His life has taken some interesting turns, while I've been away.'

Ursus said that he wanted to go and check out the restaurant, and think about its possibilities.

'So, Babe,' said Starsky. It's just you and me and a pizza.'

**************************

'Sweet Angel should be home by now, Mother,' said Marcus. He didn't mention where she would be home from. Why rub it in?

'I hope she won't mind us dropping in on her, my dear.'

'Why should she? As long as we're polite, and don't stay past our welcome.'

'I'm always polite, my dear. Unless someone gives me reason not to be.'

Sweet Angel was at home. She looked a bit surprised when the Empress appeared at her door, but covered it well.

'Good evening, your Majesty,' she said. 'I wasn't expecting you.'

'I'm sorry, Sweet Angel,' said Marcus. 'My mother wanted to meet you, and....'

'And I wanted to surprise you,' said the Empress.

'Because you didn't want me to be prepared,' Sweet Angel stated, rather than asked.

'Well, my dear. Can you blame me?'

'No. I suppose if I thought a child of mine had been caught in the claws of a harpy, I'd want to take her by surprise, too.'

'Is that what you are?' asked the Empress. 'A harpy?'

'No,' said Sweet Angel. 'But I can see that I might look that way, to those who don't know me. Marcus and I are hardly from the same stratum of society. He's a prince. I'm a whore. Of course it looks as if I'm after him for his money, and his position in life. But I'm not.'

'What are you after him for?' asked the Empress.

'His body. He's tall, handsome, and virile. He can make love three or four times in one evening. He has big muscles and a big cock, and he knows how to use them to give a woman pleasure.'

'I think that was more than I needed to know about my son,' said the Empress Makeda. 'But I did ask. So, you're not interested in his money, or his power?'

'I have my own money, and I'm not interested in power. He has offered me his protection, and that's enough.'

'So you haven't tried to persuade him to marry you?'

'Marry me? He asked me to marry him, but I knew that wasn't possible, so I told him no. It was just a dream he had, that we were meant to be married. I know he'll grow out of it.'

'Domina!'

'I'm sorry, Dominus. But you know it's the truth.'

'Perhaps not,' said the Empress Makeda. 'If I give the marriage my blessing, few will stand against me.'

'Why should you do that?' asked Sweet Angel. 'I'm hardly suitable marriage material for any man, let alone the heir to the Imperial throne. I'm older than Marcus. I used to be a whore, and now I'm a  
Madam. I have no familias.'

'My son loves you,' said Makeda. 'That's point one in your favour. It would anger certain members of the Imperial Family. That's point two. Oh, and one other thing. Certain citizens of Rome have recently been complaining about the Prince, I hear. They don't like his relationship with you. It's none of their business who he fucks, and marrying you would make that clear. But also, they've been calling him a tyrant, and saying he wants too much power. Marrying a woman of the People of Rome, someone who might be considered from one of the lowest levels of society, would make it clear that he's no such thing. What power can you give him, other than the power of the Goddess of Love?'

'Perhaps,' said Sweet Angel. 'But, as I said, I have no familias to stand up for me. I was born in a brothel. My mother was a lupa. My grandmother was a lupa. I have no family name, only the name Sweet Angel. I don't merely come from the lowest level of society. I'm completely outside of it.'

'I've been thinking about that,' said the Empress. 'And I have a solution. You need someone to adopt you into their familias. Someone respectable. Someone well off. Someone who likes you, for yourself, and won't use you to gain more power. Do you know anyone like that?'

 

***************************

 

'What are those squiggly things?'

'Anchovies.'

'Anchovies! Anchovies? You're going to put fish on a pizza?'

'Yes, Starsky.'

'Why?'

'Why not? I thought they might taste good.'

'Okay. If that's what you want.'

Starsky watched his lover roll out the bread dough into several large rounds. Hutch spread tomato sauce on top, and started layering on the vegetables. Onions. Mushrooms. Spinach, for the Gods' sake. And then... the dreadful little fish.

'Now, for your pizza,' said Hutch.

Starsky sighed. 'Thanks be to the Gods,' he said. 'You're not expecting me to eat anchovies.'

'No,' said Hutch. 'How about caviar?'

'What? Fish eggs? That's even worse.'

'It's really expensive, Starsky. It's a delicacy.'

'Tell that to the fish.'

***************************

'So. You're after my body, are you?'

'Yes. I suppose I should have told you before, Dominus. It's been weighing on my conscience.'

'Well, it should. I'm offended, Domina. I might have to punish you.'

'Really?'

'Yes. Quite severely.'

'How many times?'

******************************

'Sir? I'm sorry to bother you, but we have a problem.'

'That's okay, Ignatios. Just a moment.'

Starsky checked on Hutch, but she was sleeping peacefully. He eased her head carefully from his shoulder, and got up off the bed.

'It's the boy, Sir. We took out his gag, like you told us to. He behaved himself for a while, but now, he's throwing his food around the cell, and tearing up his mattress. He says he wants to speak to you.'

'I'll go and speak to him, Ignatios. He might not like what I have to say, though.'

'No, Sir.'

John Smith, whose real name was John Douglas, had indeed made a mess of his dungeon cell.

'You'll clean that up,' said Starsky.

'Fuck you,' said John Douglas.

'Ignatios, get one of the retired gladiators in here. Brutus. I think he killed a tiger with his bare hands once. Or twice. I'm sure he can convince a brat like this to clean up his room.'

'Good idea, Sir.'

'Oh?,' said John. 'You're not man enough to make me do it yourself?'

'And get one of the servants to bring some cold water to wash our guest down with. That will cool his ardour. And since he doesn't appreciate the food we've been giving him, perhaps he should go back on the bread and water.'

'That's not fair!' said John.

'Fair? You want me to be fair? You're lucky I decided to be merciful instead, or your head would have been decorating my front gate long ago. You're using up my space here, kid. Breathing my air. Eating my food. And for what? Because your parents didn't bring you up properly, and you think you can insult a man like Kenneth Hutchinson. Kidnap him. Hand him over to be tortured. You're not worthy to be breathing the same air he does. Or to live in the same house with him. Be happy I didn't give you to Prince Marcus to store in the Imperial prison. The only reason you're  
treated as well as you are....'

'Well? You think I'm treated well? I never get any fresh air. I want to go outside. Get some exercise.'

'You'll get some exercise cleaning up this cell. And some fresh air when you go to your trial. In the meantime.... Oh. Brutus. See that John cleans up his mess. And then tie him up and gag him again.'

'Yes, Master.'

'I'm not doing any....'

John's voice was cut off suddenly. Starsky was on his way back to Hutch, and didn't stop to investigate.

'I wonder why he wanted to go outside, Ignatios?'

'Well, Sir. It is a natural thing to want to do.'

'I don't see anything natural about that boy, Ignatios. I wouldn't trust him to take a piss without having some ulterior motive. Double the guard on him. And tell the guards at the gates to keep an eye out for anything suspicious going on in the neighbourhood.'

'Such as someone trying to rescue him, Sir?'

'Or kill him. I'm sure his relatives aren't looking forward to this Senate trial. That's the only thing that makes it palatable to me.'

'I agree, Sir.'

****************************

'You wanted to see me... Mother?'

'I did. Please come in... Son. Have a seat.'

'What? You aren't going to make me stand?'

'Should I? Have you done something to deserve it?'

'Ah. That's it. I just get in the door, and you start. I'm an asshole. Kick me around.'

'Did I say anything like that, Colin? I asked to speak to you. I asked you to sit down. When did I call you names?'

'I can hear you thinking it.'

'Ah. You're psychic. That could come in useful. Let's have you tested by the Imperial Mages.'

'Useful? You think I'm not useful already? Not as useful as Marcus?'

'I don't know, Colin. Are you? I know what Marcus does. I know who his friends are. How he spends his time. I know none of these things about you. Except that you seem to spend a lot of time away from the Palace. And you seem to feel badly used. By me. By Marcus. By the Gods, for all  
I know. Get over it! Now!'

'There you go. It didn't take you long, did it? And I know how Marcus spends his time, too. He spends it fucking whores. Whores like Sweet Angel. Do you know about her? She's older than he is. By the Gods, it's disgusting. And his friends? Perhaps you don't know as much about them as you think. Those men -- David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson? At least Hutchinson is from the Senatorial class. In a way. Even if he is from that backward country, whatever it's called. He dresses like a Barbarian. And now, I hear he's changed into a woman, and he's having this David Starsky's baby? But David Starsky is a commoner. One step above a freed slave. His toga has such a narrow band of purple, you can barely see it. And you approve of this friendship?'

'Yes, as a matter of fact. I like David Starsky. And I love Kenneth Hutchinson. They're good men. Good people. Who are your friends, Colin? I've never met them.'

'But you're putting them down anyway. I can do no right, can I?'

'I've had enough of this conversation. We'll continue it when you're capable of carrying on a logical dialogue, and answering my questions.'

'That's it. Just stomp off. Ignore me. You act like a child. When are you going to wake up, and look around you, Mother. Some mother you are... Don't shut the door in my face. Open this door!'

'Prince Colin, Sir. Prince Colin.'

'What? Who are you, bitch? How dare you interrupt a private conversation between me and my mother?'

'I'm sorry, Sir. But the Empress has told me to ask you to leave. She says she has a headache... Sir! I am the Empress's personal slave. You have no right to hit me.'

'No right? That's just it. I have rights around here, but no one acknowledges them. I'll show you. I'll show you all.'

'Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Please leave now, Sir.'

 

***********************

'Well,' said Starsky. 'Is the place haunted?'

'No. Not at all,' said Hutch. She smiled, and she looked so like his original self for a moment, that Starsky gasped.

'What?' Hutch asked.

'Nothing. You're just so beautiful.'

'Ah. Flattery will get you a pizza without anchovies. But there is something wrong with this property, and I can see why the Empress wanted to get rid of it. The land is in mourning.'

'In mourning? For who? The original owners?'

'No. It's more than that. The land mourns for what it once was. What it was used for. It's trapped in the past, and can't get free.'

Hutch walked on, past the gothic house, with its grotesque carvings, on into the overgrown garden. Viggo trotted at his heels, sniffing out the new territory. Starsky thought he liked this wildness, and that maybe Hutch would want some of that wildness preserved. Starsky wouldn't mind  
the flora, as long as no dangerous fauna was allowed to stay.

Hutch caught sight of the ruined temple.

'There,' she said. 'The centre of the sorrow. Maybe a God was worshipped here, and is no longer.'

'How could that happen? Gods who are ignored usually make themselves remembered.'

'Perhaps the God no longer has that power.'

'You think He lost a battle in Heaven as well as here on Earth?'

'That could be the explanation.'

Viggo whined, and Hutch bent to pat his head. 'You feel the sorrow too, don't you?' he said.

Viggo looked up at Hutch and they shared a moment of silent communication. Starsky used to feel left out when they talked like that, but no longer. When Hutch was abducted, he and Viggo became friends.

Hutch stepped up onto the platform of the small open temple. Most of the roof had caved in, and the stones had been hauled away, perhaps to fill potholes in the road out the front. No one had quite dared to destroy the temple utterly, however. One never knew what hidden powers even the most neglected God might reveal, if he was treated too shabbily.

Starsky watched as his lover and Viggo walked around the old temple slowly.

'The altar was here,' said Hutch, suddenly. 'See? Here and here. Lines of power. Power that once was. It's asleep. But not dead.'

'Asleep?' Starsky asked. 'Like the power of Leprosus?'

'Close. But not exactly. There is no feeling of evil here. Only sorrow. Only loss.'

Hutch sat on the temple floor, and Viggo sat before her. Starsky stood by, keeping watch in another way.

Hutch began to sway, in that manner that was now so familiar. Starsky was a bit worried, now that Hutch was having a child. Such activities might be dangerous. But Viggo seemed unconcerned.

Hutch didn't stay in her trance more than a few moments, to Starsky's relief.

'Starsky?'

'I'm here. Are you?'

'Yes. I'm fine. Could you send back to the villa? Have Mariko bring me that little statue of the Goddess -- the one we found in the Subura. I think it belongs here.'

 

*********************

'You wanted to speak to me, Father?'

'Yes, Colin. Please come in, and shut the door. Thank you. Have a seat.'

'Thank you, Father.'

'Your mother tells me you were very rude to her, last night. She says you shouted at her, and struck her maid.'

'Well, you know what women are like, Father.'

'Indeed? Are you suggesting that your mother made this story up? Are you suggesting that she lied to me?'

'No, no. I'm just saying that women get emotional over nothing.'

'So, you think that shouting at your mother, and hitting her servant, are nothing?'

'The slave was rude to me. She told me to leave. She deserved to be punished.'

'So, you think that people who are rude deserve to be punished?'

'Well, yes. I think so.'

'I'm glad you agree with me. Take off your coat.'

'I beg your pardon?'

'Are you deaf as well as rude, Colin? I told you to take off your coat. If I'm going to whip you, I want you to feel it.'

'You're not actually going to... You can't.'

'You're wrong. I can. I happen to be your father, the head of this familias, and the Emperor of Rome. I can do what I want. It's about time you learned some respect. Take off your coat and turn around. Thank you. When I'm finished, you will go and apologize to your mother, and her servant.'

'I will not!'

'What did you say to me?'

'I won't apologize to a slave. And as for Mother, she was rude to me. She walked away from me, like I was nothing. She's a woman, it's time she learned some respect for men.'

'Indeed? And you think that you're a man?'

'Yes, Father. I am a man. And you're one too, even though you don't act like one lately. Letting Mother walk all over you. Letting Marcus run wild. Do you know how he spends his time?'

'As a matter of fact I do, Colin. You're the mysterious one in this family. How do you spend your time?'

'Not like Marcus, that's for sure. But our family is going downhill these days. When was the last time we went to war? We need a good war, to prove our manhood. There must be some country we can invade. A country that's not up to our level of sophistication. A country that needs to be taught a lesson.'

'You're right, Colin. I haven't done that for a while. I'm all out of practice at teaching lessons. So, I'll start with you. Stop changing the subject, and turn around.'

*********************************

 

Mariko knelt beside Hutch, and opened the small jewel chest she had carried with her from the villa. Hutch reached inside, and picked up the ivory statue of the Goddess.

'I think she belongs here,' he said.

'Aren't you sure?' Starsky asked him.

'No. The Goddess is still sleepy. The land is troubled and confused. Perhaps the statue is the right one, and the Goddess will awaken, and remember who she is, at last. Or perhaps it doesn't matter. A lost Goddess. A lonely temple. It may be a match made in Heaven.'

'I've often wondered,' said Starsky. 'Why would a God want to live in a statue, like this one? Don't they have the freedom to roam the universe?'

'Part of their divine spirit can fill a space, like a statue, or a temple, I think. The way our spirits can inhabit a painting of ourselves, and live on there, even after our deaths, when our souls have  
moved on to the Otherworld.'

'And then, there are the small divine spirits that live in charms, or in the smoke of the incense,' said Mariko. 'Or in the notes of music.'

'Yes,' said Hutch. 'The smaller divinities, the numen, they are more limited. A God or a Goddess can live anywhere, and more than one place at a time. But I think perhaps this Goddess has lived a more limited existence.'

Hutch settled the statue in the ground, near the temple, but not quite in it. Mariko picked wildflowers and made a wreath for the Goddess's head. Starsky poured out wine, and they each took turns offering it to the Goddess. Hutch burned incense, and they prayed for the Goddess to  
wake up, and take her place in the temple.

'She has been asleep for many years,' said Hutch. 'Perhaps centuries. It may take some time for our prayers to be heard.'

'What do you think she will do?' asked Starsky. 'Will she wake up rested, or grumpy? Will she grant our prayers, or strike us down with plagues of locusts.'

'That wouldn't be very grateful of me, would it?' said a voice from among the trees.

***********************

'Darius! What's that?'

The Guardsman looked in the direction his partner Gerard was pointing. Something was floating down the Tiber. It was large, and dark, and tendrils that resembled limbs waved in the river's current. Wait. The tendrils were limbs.

'That's a body, for sure,' said Darius.

'That's what I thought, too,' said Gerard.

The two Guardsmen borrowed poles from a ferryman, and pulled the body to the bank of the Tiber. A crowd gathered to watch. Despite the lack of a true police force in the City, this sort of occurrence was not commonplace. People were wondering if someone had gotten drunk, and  
fallen in the river and drowned. The scenario was a logical one, but Darius had a feeling it would turn out to be unfounded.

His feeling was right.

The body was that of a male, thought Darius, already filling out his report in his head. It was best at these times to think like a professional, and not get overwhelmed by emotion. That would happen  
later. The man had been tall, and Black. The resemblance to his partner Gerard, whom Darius loved deeply, troubled him. He tried to study the body as if it were an object, but he could feel the terrible wounds as if they were in his own flesh.

'Darius?' He heard his partner's voice as if from a great distance. 'Are you well?'

'No, Gerard. I'm not well. This... this is a terrible crime. Someone tortured this man, and threw his body into the river, as if it were trash. Into the sacred waters. Who would do such a thing? He must have been insane.'

Gerard gripped his arm for a moment, then turned back to study the body.

'Look!' he said. 'The victim was a slave.' Gerard pointed to a tattoo, that marked the man as property.

'Do you recognize the mark?' he asked.

Darius stared at the tattoo, trying to regain his usual calm. Gerard's hand on his arm helped.

'Yes,' he said, after a moment. 'That's the sign of Maximus, the former gladiator.'

'Ah. This man must have been one of his stable of gladiators. What a way to end. To fight bravely in the arena, facing death every day, and then to wind up floating down the Tiber. You don't suppose that Maximus could have done this?'

'I doubt it. I've heard he treats his gladiators well. Perhaps this was done by a rival?'

'Well, it won't be up to us to decide, I think. This sort of thing is beyond our warrant. We'd better let Prince Marcus know.'

 

********************

'I... I heard a voice, Hutch. Did you hear a voice?'

'Yes, Starsky. It was our Goddess.'

'Our Goddess. Yes. She's our Goddess. So she won't do anything cruel, like send plagues of locusts. Or take over my body, and make me able to hear your thoughts. Will she?'

'Why would I do such strange things?' the voice asked.

'We're sure you won't,' said Hutch. 'Why don't you appear to us? We would love to meet you.'

'Are you sure?' the voice asked.

'We're sure,' said Hutch.

'If you're sure, then I'm appearing.'

Starsky stared hard at the little grove of trees from which the voice had issued. The trees shimmered in the morning mist. The misty shimmer seemed to deepen, and darken and then formed a figure.

The Goddess was very small, and very old. Her hair was white, and she was rather stooped. She gazed down at her hands and her own body.

'Oh, dear!' she said. 'I haven't aged well, have I?'

'Has it been a very long time since you appeared to anyone?' Hutch asked.

'A long time, yes,' said the little, old Goddess. 'A very long time. The world has probably changed a lot. Just looking at you, I think the fashions have changed. I must look out of date, as well as elderly.'

Hutch smiled, sweetly. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'Goddesses are divine. They set the fashions, they don't follow them.'

The Goddess' dress was indeed strange. It was rather scanty, and might have looked alluring on a younger woman. She studied Hutch's dress for a moment, and closed her eyes.

'Is it working?' she asked.

'It what working?' said Hutch.

She sighed, and opened her eyes again. 'I guess my powers are as old as my body, and my clothes,' she said. 'What use is a Goddess who cannot make a proper appearance? I was trying to create a new dress, but I can't even do that.'

'We'll find you a robe, until your powers come back,' said Hutch. 'In the meantime, you can tell us your name, and what sort of Goddess you are.'

'My name?' said the Goddess, still a bit confused. 'My name. Oh, yes. My name is Mlukukh. I am the Goddess of Love,' she said, proudly.

Then she sighed again, and bowed her head. 'I mean, I was the Goddess of Love,' she said. 'I suppose I'm too old for that now, and I've been superseded.'

'Perhaps,' said Hutch. 'But don't worry. We'll find you other work.'

 

***********************

'... and then there was Uni, the Goddess of Witchcraft. And Vitumnus, the Goddess Who Gives Life to the Fetus. There were more, I'm sure. But I can't remember their names.'

'Well, that was quite a list,' said Hutch.

Starsky had watched and listened to all this, very amused. Hutch and Mariko were fussing over Mlukukh, helping her try on various dresses.

'These clothes will do until we find you something more suitable,' said Hutch.

'They're just fine,' said the Goddess. 'It's not like I'll be going out to parties, or anything like that.'

'And why not?' asked Hutch. 'You've been locked up in that statue for centuries, it's true. But that's no reason to stay around the house now. We'll introduce you to our friends.'

'If you like,' said the Goddess. 'It's not that I'm shy, or anything like that. It's just that I don't know anyone in this century. This millennium, probably.'

'You know us,' said Hutch.

'Mr. Starsky?' said Ignatios. 'It's Prince Marcus, Sir. He'd like to speak with you, and Mr. Hutchinson.'

'Of course, Ignatios. Just show him back here,' said Starsky. He went back to watching Mlukukh adjusting the fit of her dress.

Mlukukh. The Goddess of Love, he thought. A more than slightly befuddled, elderly, gray-haired lady. Well, why not? Can't they love, too?

'Well,' said Prince Marcus. 'I like what you've done with the place so  
far.'

'We've only been here about an hour, Marc,' Hutch protested. 'Give us time.'

'See how easy it is to get him riled up, David?'

Hutch snorted, in a very unladylike fashion. 'Mlukukh, this is our old friend, Marcus, the Crown Prince of the Roman Empire,' he said. 'And Marcus, meet our new friend. Her name is Mlukukh, and she's the Goddess of Love.'

'Was the Goddess of Love,' Mlukukh clarified. 'A long time ago.'

'Can you forget how to love?' Hutch asked.

'I hope not,' said Marcus. 'Greetings, Goddess. I hope you will give me your blessings, even if you are retired. And you look far too young to do that.'

'I blessed the loves of many princes in the past, but few were so handsome,' said the Goddess.

Starsky smiled, and just managed to restrain himself from making a remark about Marcus and older women.

'I came by to give you some news, in person,' the Prince was saying. 'My mother has agreed to stand by Sweet Angel and me, if we decide to marry.'

'That's wonderful, Marc. But you may still have a lot of problems.'

'We know,' said Marcus. 'My mother has a suggestion, that maybe you could help us with. I wanted to run the idea by you, first. Myself. And I understand if you don't want to do this.'

'Do what, Marc? You know we'll help in any way we can.'

'Well... my mother thought... I mean she said....'

'Marc! For all the Gods' sake.'

'She thinks Sweet Angel should get herself adopted into someone's familias. You see that would give her....'

'... our protection. Right, Starsky?'

'Oh! Oh, yes. We should adopt her. Right away. Um... if that's what Sweet Angel wants, I mean.'

'We didn't really discuss it. I know she wouldn't have asked for herself.'

'She doesn't have to ask,' said Starsky. 'We'll adopt her. I'm not sure how. I mean I've never done it. I married Hutch. We bought everyone else in our family. Those we weren't given as gifts, I mean.'

'Cynthia Metellus,' said Hutch. 'She should know.'

'Good,' said Marcus. 'That's settled, if you're willing. There was one other thing. The trial. The Senate trial. It's set for two weeks from now. So, that should give you time to get your prisoner in shape.'

Starsky laughed. 'Oh, don't be so mealy-mouthed Marcus. It doesn't suit you. He's in good enough shape. I only tortured him a little, that first day. Just to get some information out of him. He's been  
living like a brothel slave, ever since.'

'Hardly that, Starsky,' said Hutch.

'He lies around in his room all day, and eats. What would you call it?'

'He's chained to the wall,' Hutch pointed out.

'So are some brothel slaves,' said Starsky. 'But when I unchained him, he tore the room  
apart, and smeared his food all over the walls.'

'He sounds a lot like my brother,' Marcus commented.

 

*************************

'So, this place wasn't haunted after all?' asked Marcus, as they strolled around, exploring their new property.

'Haunted in a negative way,' said Hutch. 'I think the previous owner was to blame. Your family would never have torn down the altar to any God or Goddess.'

'God, no.'

'You are very devout and reverent,' Mlukukh observed.

'It's his job,' said Hutch. 'He's supposed to make sure that all the Gods and Goddesses are properly worshipped, just to be on the safe side. But of course, he has to know about the deities first.'

'Yes,' said Marcus. 'Now that I know you exist, I'll make all the arrangements.'

'Please don't put yourself to any trouble on my account,' said Mlukukh. 'I haven't been worshipped in so long, I've forgotten how it's supposed to be done. Just drop in at my temple once in a while. Say hello.'

'We can do that,' said Starsky. 'And we can fix the roof, and rebuild the altar. It's a mess right now.'

Mlukukh sighed. 'I know. It's a shame. It used to be quite pretty, I think.'

'All the buildings need work,' said Starsky. 'We certainly can't live here. Not yet anyway. But I'm hoping we can move some of our servants over. It's getting crowded in the servants' quarters back at the villa, and that's not good.'

Ignatios came running up to them. 'Prince Marcus?' he said. 'Several of your men are here. They say they need to speak to you.'

The Praetorians apologized for interrupting the Prince on his day off.

'I don't really get a day off being Prince,' he said. 'Go ahead, Captain. What's the problem?'

'The City Guard found a body, Sir,' said the Captain.

'And that requires my attention?'

'This body is rather disturbing, Sir. It was found floating down the Tiber. The man was tortured, Sir.'

'That is disturbing, Captain. I'd better come and see it.'

'We're coming with you, Marcus,' said Hutch. 'I want to see this myself.'

'Is that wise, Hutch?' asked Marcus.

'I don't know if it's wise or not,' said Hutch. 'But it's necessary. My daimon told me so. Don't try to argue with me, my Lord,' he said to Starsky.

Starsky had opened his mouth to argue with Hutch, but closed it again. His lover was clearly in no mood to see reason. If he ever was. He spoke to Ignatios instead.

'Go back to the villa, and get me my revolver, Ignatios. It seems we're investigating a murder.'

 

***********************

'Where are the men who found the body?'

A Praetorian pointed out Darius and Gerard, who were waiting off to the side.

'My thanks,' said Marcus, and made his way over. Hutch followed, and Starsky followed her, watching her back.

'Guardsmen? You found the body?' asked the Prince.

The men got to their feet, and bowed.

'Yes, Prince,' said Gerard. 'We thought we should alert you.'

'You were right,' said Marcus. 'You both remember David Starsky. This is his... spouse. Kenneth Hutchinson.'

Hutch smiled at their confused looks, but didn't try to explain. It was best not to, she'd said more than once. That just made matters worse.

'Tell us how you found the body,' the Prince commanded.

'We were patrolling the riverside,' said Gerard. 'We saw the body floating down the river, and pulled it to shore with poles.'

'Then we saw the marks of torture,' Darius added. 'It seemed too serious a crime, for the City Guard.'

'You're right,' said the Prince. 'And I'll take over the investigation. But I'd like you to help. We should work as a team.'

'Whatever you wish, Prince,' said Gerard.

'Tell us more about your impressions when you found the body,' said Marcus.

'The man was a slave,' said Darius. 'He has the tattoo of Maximus, the ex-gladiator. He has quite stable of gladiators of his own now. But I don't think Maximus was to blame.'

'No,' said the Prince. 'He would have the right to kill one of his slaves, of course. But then, why dump the body like this?'

'Why would anyone dump the body in the river?' asked Hutch.

'That was one of the things that troubled us the most,' said Gerard. 'It is sacrilege.'

'Yes,' said Hutch. 'Perhaps that's the point?'

'What do you mean?' asked Starsky.

Hutch turned and looked into Starsky's eyes.

'You've killed people,' she said. 'You've killed in battle. In duels. You've executed men who invaded our home. Why?'

'To be the victor. To punish men who attacked you, and the rest of my family. To make a point that no one can hurt you and live. But those were logical reasons, Hutch. And I did it honourably.'

They were making their way down to where the body lay, covered by a blanket.

'I know that,' said Hutch. 'But even the most insane murderer thinks that he... or she... has a reason to kill. Perhaps they feel that the person they kill has harmed them in some way, even if no one else  
agrees. Or perhaps they are making a point, even if no one else recognizes it.'

'You mean, you think someone was making a point with this murder?' asked the Prince.

'I'm saying it's a possibility,' said Hutch. 'When Starsky killed the man who invaded our home, he put his head on the gatepost as a warning to the other thieves to beware. If this body was set floating down the Tiber, what does that say?'

'You think it's a warning to the City,' Starsky asked. 'But what sort of warning?'

'That's what we're going to have to figure out,' said Hutch.

Gerard lifted the blanket, and showed them the body.

'Torturing someone that much is hard work,' Starsky commented. 'No, Hutch. I'm serious,' he added, when Hutch laughed.

'I know you are,' said Hutch.

'There could only be two reasons for something like this. Work. Or pleasure. Serious work. Or serious pleasure. This man is no amateur. On the other hand, there seems to be a waste of effort, if the torturer wanted information. Everyone breaks after a certain amount of pain is created. All a torturer needs to do, is create the right amount of pain. There's no need to break this many bones. That's tiring for the torturer. Why work so hard? And, if I'm not mistaken, the victim was unconscious long before the session was over.'

'So, you think it was done for pleasure, David?' asked the Prince.

'Maybe. I know one or two people who get pleasure out of this sort of thing. But the pleasure comes from hearing the screams of pain, watching the fear in their victim's eyes. Where's the fun if the victim is unconscious, or even dead?'

'You're right, Starsky,' said Hutch. 'And I don't see the signs that the torturer was a veneficus, either. This wasn't done to gain dark powers.'

'I'm going to send some of my men upstream, to see if they can find any signs of where the body was thrown into the river. And to see if anyone along the riverbank heard or saw anything suspicious last night, or this morning,' said Marcus.

'Good idea,' said Starsky. 'Why don't Hutch and I go and talk to Maximus, see if he knows anything?'

'Yes,' said Marcus. 'Take Gerard and Darius with you.'

*****************

Maximus was aging, but still in good shape. At the news that one of his gladiators had been murdered, he was quite shocked, and Starsky thought the shock was genuine.

'Actually, he was one of my former gladiators,' said Maximus. 'He was losing his nerve, and I always let my gladiators retire then. Some people enjoy watching frightened men fight for their lives and lose. I don't. All my gladiators are in good shape, physically and mentally.'

'You think they enjoy their work?' Hutch asked.

Maximus snorted. 'Some of them, yes. And if they don't enjoy the work, they enjoy the rewards. I pay them well, and they can usually get any lover they want. Others are resigned. I can always tell, when they're ready to give up.'

'Then what do you do?' asked Hutch.

'I give them several choices,' said Maximus. 'They can have a break. See if that helps. They can retire from the ring, and become trainers, or serve me in other capacities. But, if they want a complete change, I will agree to sell them to another master. I sold Valerius last week. We discussed the sale beforehand, and Valerius seemed happy. The buyer needed a new bodyguard, he said. His former bodyguard was getting too old, and couldn't be trusted to win in a fight.'

'What was the buyer's name?' asked Starsky.

'I can't quite remember,' said Maximus. 'I got hit on the head too many times. Was why I had to retire. Let me check my records.'

'Of course,' said Starsky.

The former gladiator rifled through a pile of disorganized scrolls, and loose sheets of paper. He did find what he was looking for quite quickly, however.

'Here we are,' said Maximus. 'A record of a bill of sale. A slave, one Valerius of the house of Maximus. Sold to... George Douglas.'

'Interesting,' said Starsky.

 

***************************

'I'm beginning to see a pattern here,' said Marcus. 'Even if I am a bit slow at this sort of thing. Correct me if you think my predictions are wrong, please.

'Valerius was a slave of this George Douglas. Thus, Douglas committed no crime if he killed him, even if he was cruel, and wasteful, and his actions were immoral and depraved by any normal standards.

'However, he did commit a grave offense if he threw the tortured body into the Tiber. An offense against the River. An offense against the City. An offense against the Gods and Goddesses. And last but not least in my mind, an offense against me, and my familias.

'But, if I investigate the offense, and find Douglas is guilty, and punish him, Douglas will claim that he's being persecuted for his religion, which doesn't see throwing bodies into the Tiber as an offense. In fact, his God probably likes such things.'

'I'm not going to bet against that scenario, Marc,' said Hutch.

Marcus stopped his pacing up and down Starsky's study, to look at her. She was sitting on the couch, Mariko on one side, Mlukukh on the other.

'Why do you allow them to get away with this?' asked Mlukukh. 'You are  
the Prince, are you not?'

'Yes,' said Marcus. 'But my power is not unlimited. I have to operate within certain guidelines. I can't simply go off and arrest them all, and execute them all. That would be as bad for Rome, as letting them run wild.'

'But sacrilege?' said Mlukukh. 'That can have very serious and far-reaching consequences.'

'You are right, Goddess,' said Hutch. 'And someone planned it this way. We can't just react. We have to plan, too.'

'If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea. If the enemy thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.'

'Mariko?' asked Starsky.

'Forgive me, Master.'

'No, no. Go on. That was interesting.'

'It is from the Book of Five Rings. A book of philosophy for the Samurai warrior.'

'The author was wise,' said Marcus.

'Thank you,' said Mariko. 'You are very kind. He was my father.'

*********************

Starsky was riding a tall, black horse, and Viggo was running alongside. Hutch was flying, on fierce hawk wings.

Hutch flew ahead, then screamed, and turned, and flew back to urge Starsky onward. They were hunting Arac. Hutch had taken hawk form to hunt the veneficus. The veneficus often took hawk form. That was what his name meant. Arac. Hawk.

Hutch was flying, on fierce hawk wings. He screamed again, and dived at Starsky, and Viggo.

'Faster!' he screamed. 'Faster! Arac must not escape this time.'

Starsky urged his horse on. Viggo howled. Hutch screamed and flew far ahead. Starsky could see another hawk now, flying to attack Hutch.

Starsky drew his golden bow, and shot, straight at the veneficus.

The arrow missed, and pierced his lover's breast. Hutch fell to the ground. Dead.

'No!' screamed Starsky.

He jumped off the horse, and ran toward his lover. He picked up the small, fierce bird, and cradled it in his arms.

The hawk turned into a baby. Arac was diving at them, again and again, trying to peck out the baby's eyes.

Hutch appeared in the sky above them, once again.

'Run!' he screamed. 'Leave me, and run!'

Starsky cradled the baby close, and climbed back on his horse. Arac tried to follow, but Hutch attacked.

As Starsky rode off, he could hear the screams of two fighting hawks.

****************

Starsky awoke, covered in sweat. It was all a dream, he told himself. A nightmare. He turned to Hutch. But Hutch was not in bed beside him.

'Hutch? Where are you?'

He turned on the oil lamp, beside their bed. Hutch was standing by the window, looking out into the night.

'Babe? Come back to bed. What are you doing?'

Hutch started, and turned.

'I don't know,' she said. 'Where am I?'

'You're standing by the window, in our bedroom. It's the middle of the night, babe. Come back to bed and get warm.' said Starsky.

Hutch stared at him. She looked lost, and so confused. Starsky got out of bed and joined her by the window.

'What's wrong, love?' he asked.

'Nothing. Everything,' said Hutch. 'Who am I? I can't remember my name. Why do I feel so strange, as if this isn't my body?'

'Do you remember me?' Starsky asked.

'You are my Lord,' said Hutch.

'Yes. Then trust me. Your memory will come back. I'm keeping it safe for you. Here.' Starsky touched his own chest, over his own heart.

 

************

In the morning, Hutch seemed to have forgotten her confusion of the night before. Starsky found her in the courtyard with Viggo and Mariko. Mariko was demonstrating an elaborate dance that she called a kata.

'It's not a dance,' Hutch explained, as they watched Mariko perform. 'It's a form of combat. She tells me that Samurai women are trained as warriors, and fight alongside the men. She knows how to shoot, and fight with a sword. And she says that her father taught her some hand-to-hand techniques. I want her to teach me.'

Starsky opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Whatever Hutch wanted, she could have. Starsky would be there to protect her.

'She can teach us both,' said Starsky. 'I'm always ready to learn something new.'

Hutch grinned.

'Mariko?' he called.

Mariko came over to them, and bowed. 'Yes, Masters?' she asked. But she was smiling and seemed happier and more relaxed than Starsky had ever seen her.

'My husband would like to learn some of your methods of fighting. You said there were ways that an unarmed woman could fight a larger man, and win?'

'Yes, Masters. But....'

'That's an order, Mariko. Throw my husband across the room.'

'Hutch!' Starsky objected.

But he got to his feet, and offered himself to be thrown. Mariko bowed, then grabbed his arm, and flipped him down on the ground. Starsky found himself looking up at the morning sun, and thinking that it was worth it, just to hear Hutch laugh.

****************

'And so she tossed me down ten times, in ten different ways, before Hutch let me beg for mercy. Hutch was watching very carefully, and she can't wait to try it on me. I'm sure you're the next victim, Marcus.'

'I don't know,' said Marcus. 'I'm not sure what Sweet Angel would think about another woman throwing me to the ground. But she'll probably want to join the class. Learn how to beat me up herself.'

Starsky laughed. 'You never know,' he said. 'Hutch enjoyed watching Mariko beat me up. But what did you learn when you talked to George Douglas?'

'He denied all knowledge of what happened to Valerius. He says that the man simply disappeared. Certainly he had nothing to do with his death. And he's going after the murderer himself.'

'Do you believe him, Marc?' asked Hutch.

'No. But I pretended to. If they want me to press the issue, I won't. Let's give them enough rope to hang themselves with.'

'It's a dangerous policy, Marcus,' said Starsky.

'I know. But then there's the trial coming up. Less than two weeks now.'

'I'm expecting trouble, the closer we get to that. Hutch? Why don't you keep Mariko close to you, especially when I can't be here?'

'Of course, My Lord.'

Starsky glanced quickly at Hutch, but she seemed aware of her surroundings, and who she was.

'You can practice shooting. And throwing the servants around the courtyard. I'm sure Ignatios would love that.'

Hutch smiled. 'We're going to practice sword fighting, too,' she said.

Starsky shuddered.

 

********************

Viggo was in the lead. Starsky was riding behind, the baby cradled in one arm.

Where was Viggo leading them? What was happening to Hutch? The forest had grown dark, and the trees were thicker, their roots more dangerous. Viggo stopped suddenly, and Starsky pulled on the reins of his tall, black horse.

Arac stood before them on the forest path, in human form.

'I killed your Witch mate,' he said. 'And I ate his heart. I will eat your child's heart next. Give him to me.'

The veneficus held out his long, claw-like hand.

****************

Starsky awoke, alone once again. This time, Hutch wasn't in their bedroom. Starsky found him out in the courtyard, searching for something.

'Where are they?' he asked.

'What are you looking for, love?' asked Starsky. 'I'll find them for you.'

'The mountains, My Lord. Where are the mountains? And there's no snow.'

Hutch looked down at the bare ground, bewildered.

'It's spring, Hutch. The snow has melted. And there are no mountains here. But we'll find some. We'll go to the Apennines. This weekend, if you like.'

'This weekend?'

'Yes. Marcus has a villa there. I'm sure he'll let us stay for a while. But we have to be back here for the trial. That's in two weeks, remember?'

'There's a trial in two weeks,' said Hutch. He suddenly sounded grim and determined. 'I'll remember, My Lord.'

 

*************************

Hutch was in the garden, supervising the removal of the fence between the villa property and their new land. She seemed happy.

'I like the look of this,' she said. 'See. There used to be a pathway, through the trees, all the way to the old temple.'

'And we have our own Goddess waiting for us there,' said Starsky.

'It's going to need a lot of work,' added Hutch.

'Yes, but I don't want you doing it all. Especially the weed pulling. Leave that for the servants.'

'But I have to supervise. Not everything here is weeds. Look. There's a patch of wildflowers. I don't know what they're called, but they stay.'

'Fair enough. I want to get going on adopting Sweet Angel. Are you coming with me, to see Cynthia Metellus? Or staying here and gardening?'

'Sweet Angel? Oh. Oh yes. We're adopting her. I'll stay here. There's a lot to do, and I don't feel like riding today. I felt sick when I woke up.'

'Morning sickness,' said Starsky. 'I remember one of my cousins had that. It goes away after a few weeks.'

'That's a relief,' said Hutch. 'Then I'll start getting fat. And the cook was telling me that I'll have to piss all the time. And my ankles will swell.'

'I'm sorry,' said Starsky. 'If I could carry the baby for you, I would.'

'Sure you would,' said Hutch. 'Go see Cynthia, and get the adoption started. And behave yourself.'

'I always behave myself,' said Starsky.

************************

It was almost time for the noon meal. Hutch had spent the morning working on the new property. The area around the old temple was cleared, and she had planted flowers all around it. A couple of beefy slaves had replaced the altar. Mlukukh was pleased. 'Once the roof is repaired, it will be beautiful again,' she said, as they strolled back to the villa to eat.

'It's beautiful now,' said Hutch.

'It's an old ruin, like me.'

'Stop that,' Hutch answered. 'You're just fishing for compliments.'

Mlukukh laughed. 'Ah. You're on to me. Once I was inscrutable. No man could scrute my mind. Now, I'm an open scroll.'

'Scrute?' Hutch laughed. 'I've never heard that word before.'

'It's a Goddess's privilege to invent new words when they're needed,' the Goddess proclaimed.

'Yes. And one other thing. I'm not a man, especially now.'

'You're always a man,' said Mlukukh. 'You haven't really changed. Only outwardly.'

'That's not quite true. I feel rivers flowing inside me. Rivers of change. And no man can step into the same stream twice. When I return to my old body, even then I won't be the same. I will never be the old Kenneth Hutchinson. You have the Goddess's privilege of inventing new words. What word will you invent for me? A man who has given birth to a child?'

'You are a Seidhrman,' said Mlukukh. 'A Shaman. You have been a woman before. Remember that. And your man loves you. Always. No matter what you look like. He will love you when you have swollen ankles. And you won't be fat, my child. You will be carrying his child. Your child. Something precious.'

'You are right, of course.'

'Of course I'm right. I'm a Goddess.'

They had almost reached the villa. The sun was overhead. It was a cheerful day, thought Hutch. And soon his Lord would be home. Perhaps he should wait, and eat then. But no, he felt hungry. He was eating for two, after all. And his stomach was empty, after his attack of nausea earlier in the day.

Mlukukh was rattling on cheerfully about how lovely babies were. Really. She'd had several herself, and they were no trouble at all. Giving birth wasn't as nearly painful as some women made out. Of course, she was a Goddess. Perhaps it was harder for mortal women. But Mlukukh was certain that Hutch wouldn't have a difficult time.

'You have to have faith,' said Mlukukh. 'Just remember this baby is a miracle. It's your baby. Yours and your lover's. That's worth a few swollen ankles.'

Hutch was about to laugh, and tell Mlukukh she was right. Again. But she was interrupted by shouting at the front gate.

'What's going on,' she asked.

'I don't know,' said Mlukukh. 'I'm no longer all-seeing, and all-knowing. Actually, I don't think I ever was.'

'We'd better go check.'

'Is that wise?' asked the Goddess.

'So, now I should sit back and let the men run the house?' asked Hutch, a bit angrily, as she stomped toward the front gate.

'No, no. Of course not. I never suggested such a thing.'

They could hear what the voices were shouting now. One of the guards was telling someone outside the gate that he had no authorization to let anyone inside.

'I'm not anyone!' a voice bellowed. It was a male voice, and one that Hutch recognized.

'I'm not just anyone,' the voice repeated. 'The owner of this villa is my son.'

 

*********************************

 

Starsky paced Cynthia Metellus' office. She sat at her desk, pretending to be studying the adoption papers in front of her.

'I was glad, in a way, that Hutch didn't come here with me,' declared Starsky.

'Oh, yes?' said Cynthia. She looked up, her face a picture of innocence.

'There is something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Something private, and personal.'

'Of course,' said Cynthia. 'As my client, you have attorney-client privilege, and torture couldn't drag a word out of me.'

'Don't be too sure of that,' Starsky replied. 'But this is important to me, not vital to the security of the nation. I married Hutch, by taking him captive. It happened because I was about to fight a duel, over his honour, and I wanted him to have the protection of my family, if I died. As you can see, I lived, but Hutch doesn't want to change our arrangement. I've agreed, because it makes him happy. But it worries me.'

'It doesn't put Hutch in a very secure position, legally speaking,' said Cynthia, carefully.

'I know that. He knows that. He doesn't care about speaking legally. It's all a matter of passion for him.'

Starsky strode up and down the office a few more times.

'Hutch was married once before. To a woman. It didn't work out. I think the lawyers, her lawyers, took him for all he was worth. Or tried to, at least. I can't get much out of him on the subject, and his family scarcely had two words to say to me. Hutch cut off his ex-wife's head, quite legally, so she's not talking.'

'I'm starting to get the picture.'

'Good. Anyway, I don't think Hutch is ever going to budge on the issue of the contract. But is there anything I can do?'

'Behind his back?' asked Cynthia. 'A marriage contract would have to be signed by Hutch, in front of witnesses.'

'I know. But what about a will? That's what I'm most worried about. If I die, Hutch will become the property of my heir.'

'The head of the Starsky familias.'

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'Whoever he might be at the time. At the moment, that's my grandfather, Ephraim Starsky. He's not the sort of person I'd like to see owning Hutch. Let me just say that.'

'You think he'd actually enslave him?' Cynthia sounded horrified.

'No. But he'd stand by the letter of the law. Hutch would be like a minor child, without the right to determine his own future. Grandfather would see that as a just punishment for not having more business sense.'

'You can set Hutch free in your will,' said Cynthia.

'Hutch, and my entire familias,' said Starsky. 'How does that sound? Then, if Hutch ever does get wind of this provision, it won't look as if I was making a special case for him.'

'I'll draw that up, and you can come in to sign it tomorrow, along with the adoption papers.'

'Thanks, Cynthia. You're a treasure. I'd better get home. Hutch wasn't feeling too well this morning.'

Cynthia tried valiantly to restrain a giggle, but couldn't quite manage it. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I think it's wonderful, what you're doing. I just never imagined it. A man having a baby.'

'But he's not a man. Not at the moment. If she's feeling better tomorrow, maybe she'll come to the office, and you'll see. She's a very lovely young woman. I'm the luckiest man who ever lived, Cynthia. I have a wife, and a husband. All in the same person.'

'It sounds wonderful. But a bit complicated,' said Cynthia.

'I love complications,' said Starsky.

 

********************************************

 

'I am Cecil Hutchinson. Kenneth Hutchinson's father. How dare you keep me waiting out in the street? Especially this street.'

'I suppose I have to let him in,' said Hutch.

'Let him wait another minute or two,' said Mlukukh. 'It won't do him any harm. Call Mariko. We'll face him together.'

'Mariko?' asked Hutch. 'Oh, yes. Mariko. Ignatios, please have Mariko join us. Then let my father in the gate.'

'Of course, Sir,' said Ignatios. 'And if you like, I can send a message to Mr. Starsky. I'm sure he'd want to greet your father as soon as possible.'

'Yes, Ignatios,' said Hutch. 'Send a message to my Lord. Ask him to come home. Quickly.'

Hutch was looking very pale, thought Ignatios. If it was up to him, he wouldn't open the gates of the Villa Starsky until its official master returned. But there was no way around it. Fathers had a claim on courtesy from their children, whether or not they returned it. He sent a servant to find David Starsky, and called Mariko from the library, where she was translating books from the language of Nippon, to Latin. By the time he returned to the villa gate, Cecil Hutchinson had already gained entrance. He had several armed servants with him, as bodyguards.

'Is my son at home?' he was asking one of the villa guards.

'Yes, Sir,' the guard answered.

'Then tell him his father is here, and would like to speak to him.'

'Father?' said Hutch. 'I'm right here.'

'Who are you?' said Cecil Hutchinson, looking at Hutch with disdain.

Hutch was dressed in an old, red dress borrowed from one of the maids. She was smeared with dirt from the garden, and her long, dark hair had fallen out of its braids, all around her shoulders. Her nose was a little burnt. Ignatios thought she looked charming. Undoubtedly, David Starsky would agree.

It was clear that Cecil Hutchinson did not have the same reaction.

'I suppose you're carrying one of Starsky's bastards,' he said. 'Or perhaps my son finally became a man and fathered one himself?'

Ignatios cleared his throat. 'Mr. Hutchinson? If you would like to come inside, all will be explained.'

'What is there to explain, man? If my son is at home, at least he can do me the courtesy of greeting me at the door, and not leaving that to one of his slaves.'

'Ignatios is not a slave, Father. He's a freeman. And I am your son. I am here to greet you.'

Cecil Hutchinson turned to look at Hutch. He turned white.

'Oh, by all the Gods,' he said. 'What have you done? My son? You call yourself my son? I'd heard rumours, but I didn't believe them. This is some sort of trick you're playing on me, isn't it? You are one of Starsky's whores. My son hasn't really turned into a woman.'

'I'm sorry, Father, but it is true. I am Kenneth Hutchinson. But this body is temporary.'

'Temporary? You'd better believe it. You will stop shaming your family this minute. It was bad enough when you had visions, and travelled to the Otherworld, like a woman. But this has gone beyond that. You are a man. If you can't act like one, at least you can look like one.'

'I can't do that, Father.'

'What?' asked Cecil. 'You disobey me? Even though you're supposedly an adult, you're still my son. And I won't allow this shame to stand.'

'I can't change back into a man, Father,' said Hutch. 'I'm carrying a baby. David Starsky's baby.'

Cecil Hutchinson turned so red, that for a moment, Ignatios thought he would explode. He strode up to Hutch and hit her across the face.

There was silence in the villa gateway, for a long moment. Hutch stood swaying on her feet. Cecil raised his hand to hit her again, but Mariko threw herself between them and pushed Cecil back.

'How dare you?' screamed Cecil Hutchinson. 'You will pay for that, slave! Move out of my way.'

No one was paying any attention to the shouting man, for Hutch had fallen to the ground. Her body was jerking and twisting in a grotesque dance. Strange garbled words poured from her mouth.

'You disgust me,' shouted Cecil Hutchinson. 'The shame you bring on our family name never ends, does it? My son, you call yourself? No son of mine would let himself turn into this.'

He raised his foot to kick the woman lying on the ground before him, but Mariko was there first. Cecil ended up lying on his back, with a long, deadly knife at his throat.

'I don't care if I pay for this with my life,' declared Mariko. 'If you so much as move, I will slit your throat from ear to ear.'

At that moment, David Starsky rode up to the villa. The guard opened the gate.

 

*********************

It had been a good idea to talk to Cynthia, Starsky thought as he rode home. He had not wanted to deal with the Starsky family lawyers. Hutch would never have forgiven him. Cynthia was a friend, and trustworthy. Also, he'd had the excuse of drawing up the adoption papers. Now, he had to see if there were other little underhanded ways of improving Hutch's legal standing.

Hutch needed to own property in his own name, he decided. Real estate that the Starsky family had no claim to. It wasn't that he entirely mistrusted his family. He trusted them to a certain extent, but he knew human nature. Even the kindest people could be cruel. Even the most sensible people could lose their heads. It was best not to give them the chance to lose their heads and be cruel. He had seen otherwise rational people fight over the smallest trinkets left behind by someone who had died without a proper will. If he died, no one was going to fight over Hutch.

The spring sun was warm. His horse, which had been ambling down the road, lifted his head and snorted, restlessly. He was probably hungry, and looking forward to the stable, and a good feed. Starsky stopped planning ways to work around his lover's intransigence, and began to think about lunch himself. He hoped Hutch had her appetite back.

He was on the road leading to the villa now, and in a few minutes, he'd know. If Hutch was feeling better, perhaps she'd agree to go back to bed for a while, after lunch. If she wanted to argue, there were always ways to persuade her, thought Starsky. He started to plan some of the ways. He could grovel at her feet, and kiss them. He could pick her up in his arms and carry her to bed, by force. Then he could grovel at her feet and kiss them.

'Master David!'

Starsky was jolted out of his day dream. His horse snorted, and pranced restlessly again. It was Robert who had called to him. Robert was riding down the road toward him. That was strange, thought Starsky.

'Master David! Ignatios sent me to find you. I didn't think I'd find you so soon.'

'What does Ignatios want, Robert? Is there a problem at the villa?'

'Not as far as I know, Master. But Master Kenneth's father arrived, a few minutes ago, and Ignatios thought we should let you know.'

'Master Kenneth's father?' asked Starsky, slowly. 'Master Kenneth's father is here? At the villa?'

'Yes, Master. Is there a problem, Master.'

'By all the Gods and Goddesses, I hope not.'

Starsky kicked his horse into a gallop, something not normally done on this residential street. Robert followed, close behind. The gate to the villa opened as they rode up. The gate keeper was white faced, and shaking. As Starsky rode through the gate to his own villa, he thought he'd entered the gates of Hades.

Ignatios and several of the villa guards were fighting with men wearing the Hutchinson livery. Mariko was holding a knife to the throat of a man lying on the ground before her. Viggo and Mlukukh were standing guard over someone else who was lying on the bare ground. Someone with long, dark hair. Someone wearing a red dress. Someone who was writhing in a sort of fit, and crying out in a strange language.

Hutch. His Hutch was down on the ground and people were fighting over him. Over her. Over her and their unborn child. Starsky was aware in some distant part of his mind, that he was shouting, and drawing his revolver. Some icy part of his mind, which kept him sane no matter how much insanity was going on around him, told him to shoot only the men wearing the Hutchinson livery. That icy part of his mind directed his aim, and he shot only the men wearing the Hutchinson livery.

The fighting stopped. A deep silence fell over the yard. He got down off his horse, and ran to Hutch's side. Foam was running from her mouth. Her whole body was shaking in the most horrible way.

'Ignatios!' Starsky screamed. 'What's wrong? What happened here? Who did this?'

'That was me, I suppose,' said a voice from the ground. Starsky had heard the voice before, once or twice. Oh, yes. Cecil Hutchinson. Hutch's father. Mariko was holding a knife to his throat.

'All I did was slap him,' said the man. 'And I only slapped him once. But Kenneth was always weak.'

Starsky took a deep breath. He had to be calm, he thought, if he was going to help Hutch. Tearing Cecil Hutchinson to pieces was not going to help Hutch.

'We need a doctor, Ignatios. Fast. Send a message to the palace. The Empress, or Prince Marcus. They'll send their own doctors, I know that. Someone help me to carry Hutch to our rooms. Oh, and Ignatios, give Mariko a hand, will you? Put Mr. Hutchinson in our best guest room. You know the one I mean?'

'Sir?' asked Ignatios. He looked a little confused.

'Our guest room, Ignatios,' Starsky shouted. 'The one with the nice thick walls. I don't want to have to listen to any more remarks about my husband's weakness.'

Ignatios turned white. He looked more shaken than Starsky had ever seen him.

'Mr. Starsky. Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. But I don't think I can do that.'

'Why not, Ignatios?' asked Starsky, softly. Ignatios turned even paler.

'Sir. Mr. Hutchinson. He's Kenneth Hutchinson's father, Sir.'

'And he came here and struck my husband, Ignatios,' Starsky shouted. 'My wife. My pregnant wife. Lock him up, until I decide what to do with him. Now! Will someone help me carry Hutch indoors!'

*************************

'It used to be called the Sacred Disease, Mr. Starsky. It was believed that the sufferers were possessed by demons, Gods, or spirits. Now we know that something has gone wrong with the brain. It sends confused signals to the body.'

'Can you fix those signals, Doctor?'

'No, Mr. Starsky. I'm sorry.'

'Then what difference does is make what causes the problem? It might as well be demons, Gods, or spirits. I could send for a mage to talk to them, and convince them to leave.'

The Doctor sighed. 'I know, Mr. Starsky. Things must have seemed simpler in the past. But we have made great advances in medicine. Some day, we might be able to cure your wife's illness.'

'That's reassuring,' said Starsky. 'And in the meantime?'

'In the meantime, she might lose the baby. These seizures are playing havoc with her entire body. Has she had them before?'

'She told me that she used to have them, but not since we met.'

'Ah. These things often have a spiritual component, as well as a physical one,' said the doctor.

'What does that mean?' asked Starsky.

'It means that the more peaceful and happy your wife is, the less likely she is to have the seizures.'

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'She told me that I made her feel safe. But why should that help? Why should there be a spiritual component, as you say, if it's a physical problem? A problem with the brain?'

'We don't understand everything about this illness, Mr. Starsky.'

'So it might be demons, Gods or spirits, for all you know,' said Starsky. 'Maybe I should call a mage.'

The doctor smiled. He didn't look put out.

'I'm always open to a second opinion,' he said.

Starsky could hear Hutch calling out from their bedroom. He was afraid of something, but Starsky couldn't calm him, no matter how hard he tried. The connection between them seemed to have been severed. Perhaps that was what frightened Hutch. Starsky knew it frightened him.

'The thing is, Doctor, I think my wife's case is too complex for any one physician to handle. She was a man, until a few weeks ago. She's a very powerful mage herself, and is open to many influences from the otherworld. She tells me that she has visions, when she has these things you call seizures. I think she's having visions now.'

The doctor looked grave, at all this information.

'She was a man?' he asked. 'Then her body wasn't really prepared for this pregnancy. The baby puts demands on the mother's body, and the body responds in all sorts of complex ways. The demands your baby is putting on your wife's body may be too much for her to handle.'

'Are you suggesting something here, Doctor?' said Starsky.

'No,' said the doctor. 'I'm not suggesting anything. Only pointing out the dangers of this pregnancy if it continues. Dangers to the baby, and the mother. And you might have to make a choice.'

'How can I make that choice? It's her body, and her baby. She should make that choice herself,' said Starsky.

'What if she can't?' asked the doctor. 'She can't make any choice if she's not awake, if she doesn't know what's going on.'

'I'm not sure about that, Doctor. Hutch is an amazing person. Only a few weeks ago, he was drugged, and abducted and tortured. He was chained to a wall in a dungeon, and still he escaped.'

'This situation might be more difficult to get out of,' the doctor said. 'In the meantime, I'm as interested in a second opinion as you are.'

**********************

Hutch had been quiet for a while, and Starsky was starting to hope that the storm may have passed. Her face was so pale, and she'd bitten her tongue. Her mouth was flecked with foam, and blood. Starsky lay behind her on their bed, and wiped the sweat and blood from her face. He stroked back her hair from her brow.

'I'm here, Hutch,' he kept whispering. 'I'm here and I'll take care of you. You're strong. You can survive.'

Marcus came into the room. 'I've sent for that mage, Melissa. She seemed to have a rapport with Ken. She knows something about Shaman, at least. None of my physicians do.'

'I know,' said Starsky. 'It's not their fault. But it's frustrating. The doctor tells me this is caused by the way Hutch's brain works. What help is that? Who knows how Hutch's brain works?'

Marcus managed a smile, but it faded fast. 'I've seen this happen before,' he said. 'It wasn't this bad, though. But the way his family reacted bothered me. As if it were something shameful. Every time it happened, they drew farther away from him. It only made things worse.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' said Starsky.

'Neither am I,' said Marcus. 'But I am taking Cecil Hutchinson off your hands. You can't keep the man locked up here, David. I'm offering him an escort to the palace. He's going to be our guest for a while.'

'Your guest, Marcus?'

'Yes. Probably our unwilling guest, but he won't say anything about that, if he knows what's good for him. We can deal with him later.'

'If you think that's best. I don't have the time right now. But there are one or two things I want to say to him, before... We'll talk about it later, Marcus. Hutch might hear us, even if she doesn't seem conscious.'

Starsky could feel Hutch shaking in his arms again. He murmured words of love into her ear, and wiped her face again. But how much would that help, he wondered? Love was a powerful medicine, but it couldn't cure everything.

'Water! Black water. Blood! So much blood.'

Starsky picked out the one word that made sense.

'Are you thirsty, Hutch? I can get you a drink.'

Hutch sat up suddenly. Her eyes were open. She ignored Starsky, and focused on Marcus.

'Be careful,' she said. 'The blood and the water. They are for you. Don't trust in blood. Trust the Gods.'

Marcus leaned forward, and gazed into Hutch's eyes.

'I do trust the Gods, Ken. I always have. And I trust you. I believe you, and so does Starsky. Can you see him? Can you feel him here? You're not alone.'

Hutch sighed, and relaxed into Starsky's arms again. 'Thanks, Marcus,' said Starsky. 'She didn't seem to be listening to me.'

'She knows you're here, David. I'm sure of that. But she's in the spirit world, I think. And the messages she's receiving seem to be about me. I wish I could interpret them.'

'Can Hutch?' asked Starsky.

'Sometimes. Try to remember some of the things she says. We can ask her later, when she comes out of this.'

'I'm looking forward to that,' said Starsky.

 

*************************

 

'Ken and I hated each other on sight,' Marcus announced. They were sitting on the bed, one on each side of Hutch, keeping her warm, and safe. 'That was my fault,' he continued. 'I was a arrogant little prick, as Ken is fond of telling me.'

'Hutch can be pretty arrogant too,' said Starsky.

'Granted. But I had the edge on him. And there was really no excuse for it. I was a prince, but only the son of the youngest son of the Emperor. The truth was, I was scared, and trying to hide it.'

'Because of the assassinations?' asked Starsky.

'Yes. Mother was at the Empress's Court, in Byzantium, with my brother and sister. Father was off on some campaign or other. I thought I should have been with him. I was twelve years old, after all. Alexander was fighting in wars at that age. Of course, I didn't know what war really meant, just that it sounded exciting. And there I was, in some frozen, Barbarian excuse for a country, living with the natives. I have no doubt I made my feelings about that clear. Ken and I got into a fight over something, and punched each other in the nose, and became best friends.'

'What a sweet story,' said Starsky.

Marcus laughed. 'You really have nothing to be jealous about,' he said. 'Ken and I love each other. We had fun for a while, experimenting with sex, and playing at romance. But neither of us ever believed it was more. We used to talk about what it would be like when we fell in love with other people, and how we would stay friends. I'm glad he has someone like you, David.'

'Thank you. I'm glad he has a friend like you. So, then what happened?'

'Grandfather was assassinated. By this time, most of the family was dead. Great Uncle Julius declared himself Emperor, but the army didn't agree. They named Father the new Emperor, and marched on Rome.'

'I know all that,' said Starsky. 'I meant with you and Hutch.'

'Ah. I fell in love with a girl, or thought I did, and we broke up. I guess it was hard on Ken. His family....'

'I know. Never mind. But you stayed friends?'

'Of course. We made up. Got back together. Broke up again. It was too much. We decided we were better off just staying friends. But I have good memories. I hope he does. Then I got called back to Rome for the Coronation. I wanted Hutch to come with me, as my best friend. His family wanted him to go. Hutch said no. He wanted to stay in Norway, and continue his studies with that Shaman, Ragnhildr.'

'I'm sure that went over well,' said Starsky.

'Well, I understood completely. By that time, I had no desire to return to Rome. I certainly had no wish to be crowned the heir to its damned throne. I would have liked to stay in Norway, and watch Ken become a great Shaman. But I had no choice.'

'I meant, it went over well with his family,' said Starsky.

'I knew what you meant. I'd just rather not talk about it now.'

'I agree. What would you rather talk about?'

'Sex.'

Starsky laughed. 'Now, now. Marcus. You're a very attractive man. But I don't have those feelings for you.'

'That's not what I meant. I meant, let's just talk about sex. In general.'

'I've never been in a General.'

'I have,' said Marcus. 'It's over-rated.'

Hutch started to shake again. But not with laughter. The seizures had started again.

'Marcus?' said Starsky. 'I'm getting scared. If this doesn't stop soon....'

'I know, David. Let's hope they find Melissa, and she can help. But I'm here, no matter what happens.'

Starsky grasped Marcus's hand, and held on, all through the following storm.

 

*********************

'Master?'

The gentle voice woke Starsky from his nightmare, into a nightmare. Hutch was having another seizure. Starsky held him, until the shaking stopped. He couldn't remember how many times he'd done this, but he had no intentions of letting anyone else fulfil his duty. His privilege.

'Master, I wish I could help,' said Mariko. 'I wish I could have done something more useful earlier. Perhaps Master Kenneth wouldn't be ill.'

'You did help, Mariko. Ignatios told me you risked your life. Hutch might have been badly hurt, if not for your help.'

Starsky reached out, very slowly and very gently. He cupped Mariko's cheek in his hand, tenderly.  
'I won't forget your help, no matter what happens,' he said.

'There are physicians in Chine who can cure almost anything,' said Mariko. 'They use long needles. No. Truly. It doesn't hurt much. I've seen it help people who were attacked by evil spirits, just like Master Kenneth.'

'If these doctors are in Cathay, what good can it do Hutch? I know you're trying to help, but we need the help now.'

'I know, Master. I'm sorry.'

'That might be useful in the future. We'll have to look into it. In the future, when Hutch is better.'

Hutch was paler than Starsky had ever seen her. At least she had survived the night, he thought, and there was no sign that she had lost the baby. Starsky didn't want to think about what it would do to Hutch if the baby died.

There were voices outside the door, and Mariko got up from her crouch by Starsky's side to see what it was about.

'Tell them to be quiet,' Starsky ordered.

'We're sorry, David,' said Marcus, from outside in the hall. 'But my men found the mage we were looking for. Melissa says she has an idea that might help.'

**********************

'You want to do what? Never. It was that damned weed that started all this.'

'I knew you'd feel that way, Mr. Starsky,' said Melissa. 'But remember what we told you before? Mage Bane can be used as a medicine. It's only a danger if it's misused. You believe, just like I do, that the seizures are caused by Mr., Hutchinson's abilities as a mage. As a shaman. He's been captured by the spirit world, and it won't let him go. Mage Bane deadens the parts of the mind that link to the Otherworld, and that might allow the link to be severed.'

'And how do you intend to use it?' Starsky asked. 'Not that I'm going to let you, but I'm asking out of curiosity. And because I'm desperate.'

'Think, Mr. Starsky. What is more dangerous to your mate at the moment? A small dose of Mage Bane? Or these seizures? I would start out with a very small amount, and I suggest burning the leaves, and letting her breathe the smoke. That would disturb her the least, I think. When the seizures stop, we'll cut back on the dose, but we'll keep a brazier burning with it, until we're sure she's safe.'

'Burn the leaves? Will that work?'

'I've tried it before. It works on young children, and patients who are incapable of taking potions and pills. Your wife had a severe reaction to the herb, I know. But smoke from the burning leaves is the mildest form of the drug.'

Starsky paced up and down his study for a while, thinking. He had no way of knowing if Hutch would ever recover on her own. If the baby died, Hutch might blame herself. On the other hand, if Hutch had a bad reaction to the drug, it would be Starsky's fault. Yes, that was the better alternative. Let Hutch blame him, rather than herself.

'We'll try the Mage Bane,' said Starsky. 'I'll burn the leaves myself. You can be there, but the act must be my own. If Hutch gets worse because of this, I will hate whoever is responsible. It's best that person is me. Do you have the weed with you?'

'It's outside, in my saddlebag,' said Melissa. 'I didn't want to bring it into the villa without your permission.'

 

******************

 

Melissa mixed the Mage Bane with other herbs. Herbs which promoted peace, and health, she said. Starsky carried the brazier into their bedroom, and watched the smoke drift toward his lover. Hutch drew several deep breaths of the smoke, and the shaking began to ease off. Starsky got back into bed beside her, and held her close, waiting for Hutch to wake up, and remember where she was once more.

 

*********************

Starsky knew they must have slept for some hours. The warm afternoon sun was coming in the windows. The villa was quiet, but he could hear Viggo snuffling at the bedroom door. Poor Viggo, he thought. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

Hutch actually had a little colour in her face. She was sleeping peacefully, and breathing normally. Starsky brushed the sweaty hair back from her brow, trying not to disturb her, but needing to give her some comfort.

Hutch opened her eyes, and closed them again, quickly. She sighed.

'What happened this time?' she asked.

*********************************

'What was the last thing you remember, Mr. Hutchinson?' asked Doctor Lazaros.

'I let my father in the gate,' said Hutch. 'He wasn't happy at the change in my gender. He was even less happy about the baby. We had an argument. He hit me. The next thing I knew, I was in the Otherworld. I couldn't get home. I called to my Lord, but he didn't hear me.'

'I'm sorry, Hutch,' said Starsky. 'I was here all the time.'

Hutch smiled. 'That was just it,' she said. 'You were here. I was there.'

'You have to teach me how to go to the Otherworld. Then I can join you, the next time this happens.'

'You wouldn't want to do that,' said Hutch. 'Trust me. And besides, you're my anchor to this world. What we need is a way to communicate.'

'Don't worry about that now,' said Melissa. 'Too much communicating will tire you out. You need to rest, build up your strength.'

'Why do people keep saying that?'

'Because it's true,' said Starsky. 'The last few days have been hard on all of us. You weren't awake. You don't know.'

'What I know, is that there's a plot against Marcus and the Emperor. This could be worse than the Assassination Plot. The business with the Cult is just the tip of the iceberg. We have to do something.'

'We will,' said Marcus. 'But you can't go running around foiling plots looking like that. A few hours isn't going to make any difference one way or another, is it?'

'I don't know what will make a difference,' said Hutch. 'My mind feels all cloudy. It's that smoke. Someone get rid of it.'

Starsky drew a deep breath. 'I can't do that, Hutch. The smoke stays. That's final.'

He waited for the explosion. It wasn't long in coming.

'Did you hear what I said, Starsky? The smoke is dulling my mind. I need to think, to get back my connection to the spirits. What is the smoke, anyway? What are you burning? Take it away.'

'Hutch, listen to me. Are you listening? Good. While you were in the Otherworld in your mind, you were having seizures, here in this world. That's what Doctor Lazaros calls them. Seizures. They were tearing you apart. They could have killed you. They could have killed the baby. The smoke stopped them. The baby is still alive. You're recovering. Do you want the baby to live, Hutch? Or do you want to take the chance it will die? It's your body, and the choice is up to you. I won't force you to have the baby, if you really don't want it.'

'Want the baby? Of course I want the baby. How can you ask such a thing, Starsky?'

'Then the smoke stays, until we know you're safe.'

'You're burning that damned Mage Bane, aren't you?' asked Hutch.

'That, and a few other things. Herbal remedies. They're all perfectly natural.'

'So's poison ivy,' said Hutch, darkly.

She looked as if she wanted to argue some more, but gave in. Starsky wasn't fooled into thinking this was the end of the matter. He was going to keep an eye on the brazier. Make sure that no accidents happened. In the meantime, Hutch's argumentativeness was a good sign, he thought. And Hutch healed fast. Too fast for her own good.

 

************************

'I have good news for you, Mr. Hutchinson. Your son is going to live. So is his baby.'

'It would be good news, if he was my son,' said Cecil Hutchinson. 'And I have no interest in the health of that unnatural child.'

'Oh, it's good news for you, whether he's your son or not. Consider the fact that if he had died, or if the baby had died, we would be mortal enemies. But that would only be the beginning of your problems. David Starsky would be your enemy as well. He makes an even more dangerous enemy than I do. But there's one other thing. Are you aware of the laws protecting pregnant women? Not that ignorance of the law is any excuse.'

'Pregnant women? You consider my so-called son to be worthy of that title. You want to invoke that statute?'

'I already have. Didn't you notice? Ken is a woman, whether you like it or not. And she is pregnant. Causing any sort of distress to a pregnant woman is a capital offence. The only reason I'm not charging you with that crime, and executing you on the spot, is that you are Ken's father. If I killed you, that would cause her distress, in itself. David Starsky knows this too. It's why he's letting you live. But we have a few conditions, nevertheless.'

'Conditions? Letting me live? Do you know who I am? Besides your foster father, I mean?'

'I know who you are in Norway, Mr. Hutchinson. You're not in Norway. And despite the fact that we in Rome aren't thrilled at the prospect of war with your nation, we might change our minds if pushed far enough. I might consider myself pushed far enough, if you don't start taking me more seriously.'

Cecil Hutchinson was silent, for a long moment.

'What is it that you want exactly?' he asked, at last.

'I have a long list of requests,' said the prince. 'I'm sure David Starsky does as well. But for a start, you can explain to me why you showed up in Rome, unannounced, and then proceeded to visit the Villa Starsky, also unannounced.'

'Can't I visit my own son? My former son, I mean.'

'I'd get rid of that attitude, if I were you,' said Marcus. 'This is your last warning. But you will be visiting Ken again, don't worry. I want to know why you visited him unexpectedly. What prompted your fatherly feelings?'

'I heard stories. Stories that he'd changed into a woman.'

'And so you boarded a ship for Rome? Couldn't you have written first?'

'I wanted to see him for myself,' Cecil Hutchinson explained.

'And you wanted to browbeat him, the way you used to. You know what effect it has on him. You waited until Starsky was out of the villa, didn't you?'

'Why should I do that? I'm not afraid of Starsky.'

'You will be,' said Marcus.

*************************

 

Hutch was really being very patient, thought Starsky. Much more patient than Starsky could have been in her position. Starsky tried to imagine finding himself pregnant, trapped in a strange body, with an untrustworthy memory, forced to take drugs which deadened his senses, and to rest in bed for days. To say nothing of having to go without sex.

Starsky was beginning to hope Hutch would lose her temper, and start throwing things around the room. That would create a little excitement. Instead, she lay there, patiently glowering. It was enough to try anyone's temper.

Starsky opened his mouth to say something stupid, to give Hutch an excuse to lose her patience. Ignatios scratched at the bedroom door, just in time.

'Cynthia Metellus is at the gate, Mr. Hutchinson. She'd like to speak to you.'

'Only to me?' asked Hutch.

'Well, no Sir. To Mr. Starsky as well.'

'Then why didn't you say so, Ignatios?'

'I'm sorry Sir. I thought....'

'Don't think, Ignatios. It's not what we pay you for.'

'No, Sir.'

'Just show Cynthia in here. I'm not allowed to get out of bed.'

'No, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir.'

'That's not your fault, Ignatios.'

'No, Sir,' said Ignatios, and left hurriedly.

Hutch stared balefully at the burning brazier, for the next few minutes.

'It's not fair,' he said at last. 'There doesn't seem to be a Servant Bane. Or a Cook Bane. Or a Physician Bane. I wonder if there's a Lawyer Bane?'

'If there is, I know a few lawyers I'd like to try it on,' said Cynthia Metellus from the doorway.

'Hello, Cynthia,' said Hutch. 'I'm sorry I can't get up to greet you, but as you can see, I'm not myself.'

'I think you're very much yourself,' said Cynthia. 'I have the adoption papers all ready. You can read over them, let me know if there is anything that doesn't please you. When all is to your liking, we can arrange the signing ceremony. Then, you'll be the proud parents of a new daughter.'

'I wish it was always that easy,' said Hutch.

'I'm sure most women would agree with you,' Cynthia commented. 'But, I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Hutch, even if you're not up and about yet.'

'Thank you,' said Hutch. 'I think everyone in the villa is waiting for me to be up and about, so they can get rid of me for a while.'

'That's not true, Hutch,' said Starsky.

'Yes it is, but never mind. Cynthia, Starsky and I have been thinking. Since you're so experienced at drawing up adoption papers, perhaps you could create a new set. We're in the mood to add to our family.'

'Oh, yes?' said Cynthia. 'Who is it this time?'

Starsky smiled. He went to the door and called Ignatios. The man looked apprehensive as he entered the room.

'Ignatios, could you find Mariko?' Hutch asked him. 'We have something we want to discuss with her.'

 

Mariko looked worried, thought Starsky. He hadn't had much time to talk to her, the last few days. Perhaps she was still under the impression that she had failed her masters in some way.

'Cynthia Metellus, this is Mariko, one of our most loyal servants,' said Hutch. 'Mariko, meet Cynthia Metellus, our lawyer. We wanted to talk to you, before we went any further with something we've been planning.'

Mariko paled, and bowed to the ground. 'I'm sorry that I have displeased you, Master,' she said.

'Displeased me? Not at all,' said Hutch. 'What would make you think that?'

'I attacked your noble father,' said Mariko.

'Ah, yes. That is true. But you acted to save me. Even noble fathers are not without fault, Mariko.'

'But they must be obeyed, Sir. In all things.'

'Perhaps,' said Hutch. 'But my father was committing a great crime, in attacking me. If he had hurt me, and I lost the baby, or even died myself, then my father would have been executed for murder. So you saved him, as well as me.'

'I never thought of that,' said Mariko.

'Well, I've had nothing to do for several days now, but think,' said Hutch. 'My husband and I value your service to our family. We value you, Mariko. We wonder if you would like to join our family in an even more intimate fashion.'

'Intimate?' asked Mariko, looking a little alarmed.

'Intimate, as a daughter,' said Hutch. 'You know we're adopting Sweet Angel, to give her a familias. We were thinking that we could adopt you at the same time. Would that please you?'

'Adopt me?' asked Mariko. She looked stunned, a little shocked even.

'If you don't like the idea of being our daughter, we won't force it, of course,' said Starsky.

'I like the idea, I think,' said Mariko. 'But I don't understand. I never thought of such a thing. What would you want me to do?'

'Do?' asked Hutch. 'Do whatever you want. What would you have done, if you had never been made a slave? How would you have acted then?'

'I would have fought by my father's side,' said Mariko. 'And then by my husband's side. I am Samurai.'

'Yes, you are,' said Hutch. 'A warrior. That's what we want you to do. Be a Samurai, and fight for our familias.'

'Are you going to set yourself up as Shogun?' asked Mariko.

'Something like that,' said Hutch.

'Then I will raise my sword beside yours,' she said. 'And die defending you.'

'Why don't we hold the adoption ceremony in a couple of days?' Starsky suggested. 'You should be able to get out of bed by then, Hutch. Marcus is loaning us his limousine, and we can drive up to the Apennines, after that. You wanted to see the mountains, remember?'

'Did I?' asked Hutch. 'Oh, I'm sure I did,' he added, at Starsky's worried frown. 'Why don't we take Sweet Angel and Mariko with us. Spend some time together as a family. Get used to the idea of being a family.'

'Plot our strategy?' asked Mariko, eagerly.

Hutch smiled. 'Yes. Every family needs a strategy. What do you think ours should be?'

'That's up to you to decide,' said Mariko.

'Oh, no,' Hutch protested. 'If we're going to be a family, and work together, we should all have a say in creating our strategy. That's what makes it our strategy.'

Cynthia laughed. 'I think I'll leave you to it,' she said. 'When you've decided on your strategy, let me know, and I'll draw up the official documents.'

'Thanks, Cynthia,' said Hutch. 'You're a kind and resourceful person. For a lawyer.'

'If you come across that Lawyer Bane, pass some on to me,' Cynthia added.

'Planning on getting rid of the competition?' asked Starsky, as he walked her to the gate.

'Yes. But don't let it get out.'

'My lips are sealed.'

'How is Hutch? Really?'

'She's better. We had some scary days, and worse nights. But we're alive.'

'That's good,' said Cynthia. 'I've been praying to every God and Goddess I could think of.'

'Thank you. I know it's helped, because I don't think we would have survived, without the intervention of the Gods.'

*************************

'There it is, Prince. The third body.'

Marcus looked in the direction Darius was pointing. The body was floating down the middle of the Tiber, and boatmen were trying to hook it, to pull it to shore. It was hard to tell from here, but the body looked large, like a man's, and dark. Probably another black man, and a slave, thought Marcus. Just like the first. Just like the second body, two days ago. Marcus had said nothing to Starsky and Hutch about that. They'd had enough to worry about. But they were bound to hear about it.

'The people of the City are getting scared, Prince. When this gets out, there might be demonstrations, riots even. People will be afraid to let their slaves out alone. And everyone is wondering what it means. Is it a judgement on us, by the Gods?'

'No, Darius. This is a crime, committed by a madman, for reasons of his own. If the Gods were going to pass judgement on us, they could do it without murdering innocent slaves, and setting their bodies floating down the Tiber.'

'I agree, Sir. But when people are afraid, and they don't understand what's happening, they look around for someone, or something, to blame. Something easy to understand.'

'Yes,' said Marcus. 'So, we have to give them something to understand. We'll announce that we've found another murder victim. Post notices offering a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the killer, or killers. Make it clear that the murderers are human, and perhaps enjoy causing pain, for sexual reasons.'

'Sexual?' asked Gerard. 'You think it's sexual, Prince?'

'I don't know,' Marcus admitted. 'But that's an easy reason to understand, for what is happening. It's less frightening than the idea that we're being punished by the Gods, don't you think?'

'Yes,' said Gerard. 'We'll draw up a notice. Stress the words murder, and sexual.'

'People will be a little less frightened, and a little more intrigued,' Darius commented. 'And curious.'

'I'm counting on that,' said Marcus.

************************

As Starsky walked back to his bedroom, he met Ignatios in the hallway.

'Sir? I hear that you and Mr. Hutchinson are adopting Mariko?'

Starsky didn't ask how Ignatios had heard that. Slaves heard everything, saw everything, knew everything that went on in the familias.

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'What do you think about it, Ignatios?'

'Me, Sir? It's not up to me to think.'

'Come on, Ignatios. My husband didn't mean that. She's been having a hard time, lately.'

'I know, Sir. I'm sorry. I think it's a good idea, Sir. All the slaves do. This branch of the Starsky familias is growing. Becoming more powerful. It's exciting. Lots of opportunities.'

'Opportunities to be heroic, and win your freedom?'

'Well yes, Sir.'

'That's understandable, Ignatios. I approve. I don't want down-trodden, lazy servants working for me. This familias is going to have a strategy.'

'A strategy, Sir?'

'So I've been informed.'

'Ah. And what is that strategy, Sir?'

'I haven't been informed about that yet. I'll let you know, Ignatios. In the meantime, Hutch and I are going to the Apennines in a few days. I'm leaving the villa in your hands, along with our guest in the dungeon. I want you to close the gates, and let no one in. No one, Ignatios. Not if they come with battering rams. Not if the Emperor himself shows up with an entire army. Die defending the walls, and I'll see you have a honourable tomb, with an inscription describing your heroism. Let anyone inside....'

'I understand, Sir.'

'Good,' said Starsky. 'We might adopt you, next.'

Ignatios turned pale.

'I... I'd really rather not be adopted, Sir. It's an honour far above me. I prefer my own humble status as a freeman.'

'I understand, Ignatios,' said Starsky. 'Maybe we'll just raise your wages, instead.'

****************************

Holding the person you loved most in all the world was the best thing there ever was, thought Starsky. He really needed nothing more. So, why did his cock have other ideas? And Hutch was there, trying to sleep. It wouldn't do to have another little talk with the stupid thing. The stupid thing twitched again, reminding him that it had been days and days and days since it had any fun.

'Only four days,' he told it. 'But who's counting? Surely you can go that long?'

'Who can go that long?' asked Hutch.

'No one. Nothing. Never mind. Go back to sleep.'

'Do you have a problem, my Lord?'

'No. No problem. I'm fine.'

'Your voice sounds funny.'

'Of course it sounds funny, Hutch. Please. Don't start something we can't finish.'

'Who says we can't finish?'

'The doctors all said it wouldn't be safe for you to have an orgasm right now. After all your body has been through, it might....'

'I may not be able to come, but you can. You just lie there and let me take care of you for once. I'm tired of being a helpless invalid.'

'Helpless?' said Starsky. Mmm. That was a nice thought. Lie there and be helpless. He looked down at the delicious sight of Hutch swallowing his cock. And he was helpless to do anything but thrust up into her warm, sweet mouth. They hadn't done it this way for a while. It didn't do to let yourself get into a rut, he thought. Mmm. Rut. Another nice thought. Hutch was doing interesting things with her fingers. She seemed to be having a good time. Too bad he couldn't reciprocate. But he'd make up for it, as soon as Hutch was better. Soon, he thought. Soon. And he let himself go, and erupted into his sweet lover, like a volcano. That was a nice image.

'A fiery volcano of lava,' he said.

Hutch laughed. 'Men!' she said.

***************************

Starsky and Viggo faced off against Arac, in the dark forest of the night.

'I've killed your Witch mate, and eaten his heart,' said the veneficus. 'Now, I will do the same to your child. Give him to me!'

'Never!' said Starsky. 'I'd rather die.'

'Such courage,' sneered the evil sorcerer. 'And for what? A worthless, unnatural child, who will never be normal? It's best that it die now, before it suffers. Its life will only be filled with pain. Give him to me.'

'Why do you want him?' asked Starsky. 'If he's so worthless?'

'I pity you,' said Arac. "Your life has been so tragic, ever since you met your Witch mate. It would be happier with me. I can give you what you want. Kenneth Hutchinson is cold, and cruel. You've never known the passion I can give you. Or the power. You want power, don't you? More power. Hutchinson said you have power. Together, we could rule all of Rome. And even beyond. Give me the child, and I'll fulfil all your dreams.'

'Hutch said I had power, did he? Then why do I need you? I can rule Rome by myself.'

Arac snarled, and changed into a wolf. His eyes glowed red, as he leapt for Starsky and the baby. Viggo threw himself at the veneficus, and tore out his throat.

Starsky put the baby on the ground, and approached the dead shape changer. He took out his knife, and sliced open the wolf's belly. Hutch's heart fell out, into Starsky's hands.

'Hutch!' cried Starsky. 'I have your heart. I'll find the rest of you, and put you back together. Hutch. Wait for me. Don't go into the Otherworld. Wait!'

*******************

'Wait,' cried Starsky. He sat up, and looked around the dark bedroom. Hutch wasn't lying beside him, where she should be. He had slept too deeply, he thought, worn out by lack of sleep for too many nights, and then the exhaustion of sex. He knew he shouldn't have let Hutch do that. But his cock had a mind of its own.

He found Hutch in the courtyard, sitting on her favourite bench.

'I should beat you for your disobedience,' said Starsky.

Hutch started, and looked up at him with strange, wild, frightened eyes.

'What have I done?' she asked.

'Nothing. I was joking, love. I wouldn't beat you. But you shouldn't be out here, alone in the dark. You still need the smoke. We're not sure the seizures have passed.'

'Oh. I forgot,' said Hutch. 'I wanted some fresh air.'

'Well, you look well enough. I'm sure it's safe. But come inside now. You need your sleep.'

'Yes,' said Hutch. 'The spirits have been talking to me again. There are more bodies, floating down the river. We have to be ready.'

********************

Starsky walked around his land, Prince Marcus and Ignatios at his side. The workers were putting in the final touches to the new walls. Solid stone walls now ringed the entire property, both the old and the new parts. It was an impressive sight, but there was more.

'When the system is complete, we'll test it,' said Starsky. 'I want to be sure it works, before I leave.'

'If it does work, I'll be interested in it for the palace,' said Marcus. 'And I'm sure the army will be after you as well. Take out a patent, for the Gods' sake.'

'I will. Don't worry. My family aren't business people for nothing,' Starsky pointed out. 'But remember. This is just a tool. It doesn't replace your own eyes and ears, and other senses. It extends them. It doesn't mean you can fall asleep on the job, and expect the system to warn you in time.'

'I know, Sir,' said Ignatios. 'I won't let anyone fall asleep.'

'I believe you, Ignatios,' said Starsky. 'You're going to be in charge here, and I trust you.'

One of the servants came up to tell them that the last of the wires had been installed.

'Thank you, Giles,' said Ignatios. 'We'll test the system now. Have someone climb over the wall. Any part of the wall will be fine. Just give us a little time to get back to the villa.'

'Yes, Sir,' said the servant.

Ignatios blushed.

'Don't worry, Ignatios,' said Starsky. 'You'll get used to it.'

Starsky and Ignatios had set up a command post, inside the villa. There would always be one guard posted here, day and night.

'Change the guards frequently,' Starsky had cautioned Ignatios. 'People get tired. They get bored. They start to daydream. They start thinking about their boyfriends, or their girlfriends. Or both.'

'I'll have someone walk around the perimeter,' said Ignatios. 'Then come back here. They'll be fresh, and alert, but glad to sit down for a while. The guard who was stationed here will be glad to stretch his legs.'

'Good thinking,' said Starsky. 'Now. Let's see how the wires work.'

They waited, staring at the panel of small lights. Suddenly, one of the lights went on.

'That's the North West corner,' said Ignatios. He went to the door and called to the guard stationed there. 'There's an intruder at the North West corner,' he said. The guard saluted and started off.

'Well,' said the prince. 'That wasn't bad for a first try.'

'Not bad at all,' said Starsky. 'But I expect a few accidents to happen. The alarm going off when a cat jumps over the wall, for example.'

'Look at it this way,' said the prince. 'It can only be a good thing, if you know about every cat that invades the villa. That will impress burglars. And assassins.'

*******************************

The villa was sparkling. Lights and banners decorated the walls. Vases filled with flowers stood on every available table. The cook had outdone herself, and delicious smells filled every room. Starsky looked around his home, and couldn't help feeling proud. Tonight, he and Hutch were formally adopting Sweet Angel and Mariko as their daughters.

'Do I have to call you Father?' Sweet Angel asked.

'No,' said Starsky. 'That would make me feel ancient. And Hutch has laid claim to My Lord as a title. So, I don't know what to suggest. Just call me David.'

Sweet Angel grinned. 'That's probably safest,' she said.

'You can call me Grandmother, if you like,' said Rachel Starsky. 'I'm used to feeling ancient.'

The entire household assembled in the Atrium. Cynthia Metellus read the adoption documents out loud. Hutch and Starsky signed them. Sweet Angel and Mariko signed them. Prince Marcus and Ignatios witnessed them. The entire household shouted, 'Fiat!'

'Now,' said Hutch. 'You can perform your first duties as daughters of the household. Offer wine before the altar of the household Gods. I think they've been feeling neglected lately.'

The courtyard looked beautiful. Lights hung in every tree. Hutch was playing her harp, and singing love songs. Tomorrow they left for the Apennines, and a few days of peace, before the trial.

One of the servants came up to Starsky.

'Sir,' he said. 'Your grandfather is at the gate. He's demanding entrance.'

Starsky sighed as he trudged toward the gate. It didn't seem to matter who you were, or how powerful you appeared in the eyes of the world, he thought. There was always someone, somewhere, who could make you feel like a child again, and not in a good way.

The gate swung open, and Ephraim Starsky strode in. He didn't look happy. 'I'd like to speak to you,' he said. 'Privately.'

'We're having a little party here, Grandfather. Why don't you join us, and we'll talk later? It's not polite to just abandon my guests.'

'A party?' said Ephraim, as if the lights, and the music from the courtyard weren't clues.

'Yes. A party. Hutch and I just adopted two women as daughters. We're celebrating.'

'So. It's true, then. And you're celebrating? I can't believe it.'

'Why not?' said Marcus, from the doorway to the villa. 'Their familias is growing. Ken has recovered, after almost dying. They have a lot to celebrate.'

Ephraim Starsky looked a little startled. 'Oh! My Prince. I didn't see you there. Forgive me.'

'You're forgiven,' said the prince. 'But you might explain to me why you thought my friends shouldn't be celebrating.'

'Let's not discuss this out here in the yard,' said Starsky. 'Come into my study, both of you.'

'Of course,' said the prince. 'Lead the way, David.'

Ephraim Starsky looked around with an air of amazement, as they made their way to Starsky's study. 'You've fixed the place up,' he noted. 'It looks good.'

'You could have come to see it before,' said Starsky. 'You didn't have to wait until you were mad at me. The whole family has a standing invitation.'

'I wasn't given a personal invitation. And besides, everyone said you were honeymooning, and to give you some peace.'

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'I've certainly been having a peaceful honeymoon.'

Starsky waved his grandfather and Marcus to sit on the couch. He poured wine for them all, and sat down in a chair across from them.

"Okay,' he said. 'Let's have it. What's wrong with Hutch and me adopting two daughters? One of them is a friend of ours. A wealthy, beautiful business woman. The other saved Hutch's life. She's intelligent, she speaks many languages, and she can throw me across the room.'

Ephraim Starsky was silent.

'I suppose your grandfather might be concerned about Sweet Angel's former occupation,' Prince Marcus offered.

'Why?' asked Starsky. 'It's not as though it was a dishonourable occupation.'

'Not strictly honourable, either,' Ephraim said.

'No,' said the prince. 'I agree, and so would Sweet Angel. But she never wanted to be a lupa. She hasn't actually been one for some time. She owns Sweet Angel's House. She makes a lot of money from it. And she has other investments. I've joined her in some of those.'

'So have Hutch and I,' Starsky pointed out.

'I see,' said Ephraim. 'So this is partly to do with business?'

'Yes!' said Starsky. 'We're all involved in various business deals together, and we want to keep it in the family.'

'Sweet Angel and I are getting married,' said Prince Marcus. 'When we have a child, that will make you its Great-great Grandfather.'

Ephraim Starsky dropped his wine goblet.

'You're getting married?' he repeated. 'You're actually getting married?'

'Yes,' said Prince Marcus. 'I love her. She loves me. My mother, the Empress understands. This whole adoption thing was her idea, at first.'

Ephraim simply stared. He seemed to be at a loss for words, for once in his life. Starsky smiled. Some days, it was worth getting out of bed. Wonderful gifts just dropped into your lap, when you least expected them. The day he met Hutch was one of those. This was another.

There was a tap at the study door, and Hutch walked in, Sweet Angel and Mariko behind her. The three women were beautiful, Starsky thought. Sweet Angel was cool and blonde, much like Hutch had been in his male form. Mariko was tiny and doll-like, dark and exquisite. But Hutch was the most beautiful of them all, in her red gown, carrying their child. Starsky thought that she might be showing her pregnancy, just a little.

'Is everything all right, my Lord,' she asked.

'Yes, Hutch. Everything is fine. My grandfather just came for a visit.'

Ephraim Starsky had risen to his feet, as the three ladies entered the room. Whatever he thought, he was always polite. He bowed over their hands, and kissed Hutch on the cheek. 'So,' he said. 'My grandson tells me that one of you can throw him across the room. That I'd like to see.'

*******************

Starsky was riding through the dark forest. He clutched his baby, and Hutch's beating heart in one arm. He hung on to the reins of his horse with the other. Arac was back in hawk form. He flew at Starsky, pecking at his face. He attacked again and again, pecking at Starsky's eyes. Blood ran down Starsky's face. He couldn't let go of the baby, or the heart, or the reins of the horse. The blood flowed, unchecked. Arac pecked at Starsky's eyes. His beak went through one eye, and Starsky could barely see where he was going. He rode on. Arac's beak punctured his other eye. Now Starsky was blind. He called to Viggo.

'I can't see, Viggo. Lead us home.'

He dropped the reins, and Viggo picked them up in his teeth. Starsky held on to his horse's mane, and cradled his baby and his lover's heart close to his own. Arac flew over them, screaming his hatred.

****************

Starsky was not surprised when he woke up and found his bed empty yet again. Hutch was in the courtyard, as he expected. But Hutch was not sitting on her bench.

She was standing in the middle of the courtyard, the moonlight flowing over her naked body. Starsky started to walk toward her, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

'Let her be, for now,' said Mlukukh. 'She is calling on the Goddess of the Moon.'

'She is beautiful,' said Starsky. 'The most beautiful woman who ever walked in Middle Earth.'

'Yes,' said Mlukukh. 'When a woman is loved, she is beautiful. You have accepted Hutch for what she is. Or what he is. Whatever form he has, you find that beautiful. Now, she needs to accept it for herself. Then the judgement of her family won't tear her apart.'

Starsky watched as Hutch danced in the moonlight, to a melody that only she could hear. He waited until she sank wearily to the grass. Then he joined her, and wrapped her in his arms. The moon flowed over both their naked bodies, as they became one. Mlukukh, the Goddess of Love, watched from the shadows.

'I might not be washed up after all,' she said to herself.

***************************

 

'We're siblings, really,' said Hutch. 'Not parents and children. We'd never expect the sort of obedience that parents demand.'

'I don't remember my mother very well,' said Sweet Angel. 'And I never knew my father. My mother had no idea who he was, in fact. She died when I was a little girl. The madam couldn't be bothered with me, but she said I showed signs of being attractive enough, so she let me live. The other lupas raised me, so to speak. They let me run wild, but made sure I was clean and fed, and learned some of the social graces. It was a decent whorehouse, after all.'

'My parents were strict,' Mariko said. 'I was taught how to read and write. I was trained how to fight with the naginata.'

'The what?' asked Sweet Angel.

'The naginata. It's a long sword. Samurai women must fight with the men of the family. They must teach their children to be brave and strong. And they must defend the family honour by committing suicide, if necessary.'

'Ah,' said Hutch. 'Do you still want to do that, Mariko?'

'No. You are my new family. I want to live, to defend your honour.'

They were in the Apennine Mountains. Hutch wanted to sleep out, under the stars. Starsky insisted on tents, at least. It was late, and they were sitting around the campfire, telling stories. Somehow, the fictional stories they started out with, metamorphosed into their own life stories.

'I suppose I had a pretty lenient childhood, as well,' said Starsky. 'My parents let me run the streets of Rome. I skipped school whenever I felt like it. Now, when I see boys running the streets, I want to drag them to school by their ears. That's what growing up and having all this responsibility does to you.'

Hutch leaned back against Starsky's shoulder. 'Do you feel you have too much responsibility, my Lord?' she asked.

'Sometimes,' he answered. 'Sometimes I wonder what I got myself into when I married you. I wanted a simple life. A small apartment. A simple job in the City Guard. Instead, I find myself embroiled in politics, up to my neck. I own dozens of slaves, two houses, a business....'

'Me.'

'Yes. You. That's what makes it all worth while. I'm afraid that I won't be good enough. But I wouldn't change what I have for anything.'

Hutch was silent for a long time, while the others watched the fire, and waited for her confession.

'There are days when I think my parents never loved me,' she said at last. 'But then there are times when I think they must have. I don't remember feeling unhappy when I was very small. But I fell sick, and everything changed after that. My parents saw me differently, and they were disappointed. I wasn't perfect. I was flawed, in their eyes.'

Hutch stared into the flames, as if there was some answer hidden there. Something she'd been searching for, a very long time.

'They were wrong,' she said at last. 'No one is perfect, ergo I'm not perfect. I'm different. I'm myself. Other people love me the way I am. My parents could have made some effort.'

'Honourable father?' asked Mariko.

'Yes, honourable younger daughter?'

'Why did your parents think that your illness made you flawed? If I might ask?'

'Because it gave me visions, and only women should have visions,' Hutch explained.

'Ah. Women are the shaman in Nippon, as well. And so it is strange for a man to be a shaman. But these things are gifts from the Gods, and not to be denied.'

'Yes,' said Starsky. 'If you deny the gift of a God, you might get another gift you truly don't want. A gift from a demon. Or the God might take away something you love.'

Mariko looked at him, with dark, tragic eyes.

'Yes,' she said. 'I think that was what happened to my family. My first family, I mean. But that's too sad a story for tonight. We should be happy, now, and forget tragedy, for we have received gifts from the Gods.'

'I'm still a bit worried about the evil spirits of the night, Ken,' said Sweet Angel. 'I've never slept in a tent before.'

'Never?' asked Mariko. 'Don't worry. You'll see. It's just like being at home.'

'Except that the walls move,' Sweet Angel pointed out.

'I will protect you from all evil spirits,' said Hutch. 'Any Seidhrman, or Mage, worth his or her salt, can do that.'

'I'm more worried about wild animals,' said Starsky.

'Viggo will protect us from them. Now, why don't you all go and get some sleep?'

'What about you?' asked Starsky.

'I'm going to check for evil spirits. I'll be in shortly. Viggo?'

Viggo came to sit in front of Hutch, and they held one of their silent conversations. Then Viggo ran off, into the forest. That forest made Starsky nervous. It reminded him of a dream, a nightmare rather. Something horrible about holding a bloody heart in his hands. Though why that should bother him so much, Starsky couldn't say. He'd held a real beating heart in his hands, and never had a moment of sleeplessness over it.

************************

Viggo pulled on the reins of Starsky's horse. Starsky held onto the horse's mane, and clutched his baby, and his lover's heart close to his own. Viggo led them on, into the dark forest. All the world was dark to Starsky now. The blood from his eyes still flowed down his cheeks, but Starsky ignored it. It was the blood that flowed from Hutch's heart that troubled him. If he couldn't find the rest of his lover's body soon, he might not be able to put Hutch back together.

Arac screamed. His dangerous beak was tearing at Starsky's face again. It cut to the bone. It tore strips from Starsky's face. The evil veneficus was eating him alive, Starsky thought. There was nothing he could do to protect himself. He had to protect the baby, and Hutch's heart. Nor could Viggo drop the horse's reins to fight the veneficus. Starsky endured the pain, and the fear.

Viggo stopped tugging the horse forward. He pulled back on the reins, and let them trail on the ground. Starsky could feel the presence of Hutch's body. The heart leapt in his arms, trying to get back to its owner. Starsky climbed down from the horse's back, and Viggo led him to his lover's body.

He heard Arac laugh. 'Do you think I'm going to let you do this?' the veneficus asked. 'You will have to fight me, and how can you when you can't even see. For that matter, you can't see where to put the heart back. It might end up where his liver should be.'

'Viggo?' said Starsky. 'Take the heart to Hutch.'

The wolf grabbed the heart from Starsky's hands. He ran towards the remains of Hutch's body. Starsky threw himself toward the sound of Arac's voice.

*****************************

Hutch was dancing in the moonlight, calling on the Goddess of the Moon. Starsky watched, until he felt calm. The nightmare was fading, fading. It was almost gone. Hutch stopped dancing, and turned to Starsky.

'She's out there,' she said. 'I can hear her. Riding with her hounds.'

'Who? The Goddess of the Moon?'

'Artemis. Diana. Ishtar.'

'Do you want her to ride through our camp? That would be terrifying.'

'We've dealt with Goddesses before,' Hutch pointed out. 'But she's too far off. She doesn't hear my call.'

'That's too bad,' Starsky lied. 'Come to bed, then.'

Hutch listened to the pounding of distant feet, and the baying of hounds.

'They're hunting,' he said. 'The Hunt is leading them away. Perhaps tomorrow night. Yes. Let's go to bed. There are no evil spirits nearby.'

Starsky dropped the tent flap over the entrance to their tent, and prayed that all evil spirits would stay away.

*************************

It was a lovely morning in the forest, or so Hutch informed him. They were all running along a mountain path. Starsky saw no point in running, if you weren't going anywhere, but he wasn't letting Hutch out of his sight for so long. He kept more of an eye on Hutch's footing on the path, than he did his own.

Mariko was enjoying herself. She said this was a lot easier than her training as a Samurai, in which she had learned to run in full armour, carrying a sword.

Sweet Angel had never run cross-country in her life. She didn't think she enjoyed it, but she wasn't about to start opting out of any activities her new family took part in, this early in the game. This was all about learning each other's capabilities and weaknesses, Mariko had suggested.

They could teach each other what they knew, said Hutch. Build up their strength as a family. Present a united front to the world.

Fair enough, thought Starsky. I'll go running with you. Then, I'm going to teach you all to shoot. Being able to run was all well and good. But if there was no place to run to, you could always shoot your enemy.

***********************

Eventually, though not soon enough for Starsky, they got back to the camp. Mariko led them all in a series of stretching exercises. They did them very slowly, which was welcome. Mariko said that if you speeded up, the stretches became a fighting form. She demonstrated.

'I want to learn that,' said Hutch.

'Of course,' said Mariko. 'We'll start out slowly. When you've mastered the forms, we'll speed up.'

Sweet Angel sighed.

'I'm not sure what I have to teach you,' said Sweet Angel, later. 'I know about being a lupa. I know how to please a man. I know about running a business, but....'

'That is important,' said Starsky. 'I come from a business family, but I never paid a lot of attention to it. I wanted to join the army. See the world. Not sit at home, and do accounting.'

'I learned how to run a household,' said Mariko. 'But we were of the warrior class, not the business class.'

'You know something about the art of Cathay and Nippon,' Hutch pointed out. 'And Sweet Angel knows about weaving. When we have enough silk to start producing it for the market, all those skills will come in useful.'

'Even the art of pleasing men,' said Sweet Angel, suddenly. 'I think the women of Rome would be happy to be able to afford silk dresses. They're so expensive, only the richest women can afford them. If we produced the raw silk, turned it into thread, wove the cloth, and designed and made the clothes....'

'We'd have a strangle-hold on the market,' said Starsky. 'We'd be hated. All the other clothing manufacturers would be after us.'

Starsky smiled at the thought. It didn't intimidate him.

****************************

Starsky struggled to hold on to the veneficus. Arac twisted in his arms, but Starsky refused to let go.

'Ah,' said Arac. 'At last you have come to me. You admit that your Hutch could never give you the pleasure I can.'

Starsky laughed. 'Pleasure?' he asked. 'Yes. It's a pleasure to do this.' He hit Arac as hard as he could. But the witch was no longer there. 'Viggo! Look out. Arac is free.'

Viggo snarled. Starsky got to his feet, prepared to go on defending Hutch, even if he couldn't see their enemy. But he felt Hutch's arms holding him close.

'It's all right, Starsky. I'm here. I'm whole again.'

************************

The moon was full. Hutch was dancing under its spell. Far off, up the mountainside, Starsky could hear the baying of hounds.

'She's hunting again,' said Hutch. 'The Goddess of the Moon.'

'Is she coming this way?' asked Starsky. If so, it was best to be prepared.

'I think so,' said Hutch. Starsky listened to the sound of the baying hounds. They did indeed sound closer.

An owl flew past, on a hunt of its own. For a moment, it was outlined against the whiteness of the moon. It reminded Starsky of his dream. Viggo sat up, and growled. But he wasn't looking at the owl. He knew that Artemis and Her hounds were near.

A fleeing stag burst through the perimeter of their camp. The hounds of Artemis were not far behind. But Hutch stepped forward, between the stag and the hounds. Viggo stood beside him. Starsky, his heart in his mouth, decided to join them.

Artemis and her friends emerged from the trees. They were running fast, their eyes on the hounds and the prey ahead. Artemis was the first to see Hutch and her two companions. 'Who are you?' she asked. 'You have courage, but not much intelligence, to deliberately place yourself in the middle of one of my hunts.'

'My name is Kenneth Hutchinson,' said Hutch. 'I wanted to speak to you. I have been calling to you for several nights now.'

Artemis laughed. 'And you chose this way to gain my approval?' she asked.

'It's not your approval I want,' Hutch said.

'Then what do you want?' asked Artemis.

'Your power. The power of the night and the moon. The power to ignore what others think and to go after what I want.'

'Haven't you done that already?' asked the Goddess. 'I know you now. You are marked by the other Gods. Hekate. Eros. One of the Old Ones, whose name I can't pronounce.'

'Mlukukh,' said Hutch.

'You should take care of that cough,' Artemis observed.

'Mlukukh is the name of the Goddess of Love,' said Hutch.

'Not the Goddess of Love that I know,' said Artemis. 'But enough. These Gods have touched you, and left their mark. You are a strange one, Kenneth Hutchinson. Man and Woman. Free and Bound. Passionate and Chaste. Now, you have decided to carry a child, at the most dangerous of times, when your body is fighting to go back to its normal form. And, oh yes. You have many enemies, for one so young, and for one so kind.'

'How do I fight them, without bringing more pain and suffering into the world?' asked Hutch.

'Why ask me?' asked Artemis. 'I am the Huntress. My hounds have torn living men to pieces before my eyes.'

'That is why I ask you,' said Hutch. 'You know cruelty, therefor you know where cruelty begins. Can I be strong, and fight for those I love, without being cruel?'

'You have power,' said the Huntress. 'Why do you fear to use it?'

'That's what he asked me,' said Hutch.

'He?'

'The witch who abducted me, and tortured me. He wanted me to use my power, but to use it for evil. Can I use it for good, without becoming evil?'

'What you have is a gift from the Gods, and not to be denied,' Artemis replied.

She rallied her troops, and pushed past Hutch to ran after the fleeing stag, into the wild forest.

********************

'Ignatios, Sir?'

'Yes, Brian.'

'There is an alert in the South East corner of the property, Sir.'

'Ivan is on duty, isn't he?'

'Yes, Sir. He sent a message to the guards on the walls, and he sent me to inform you.'

'Good work, Brian. Let's go check out the problem.'

The two servants made their way to the villa wall. Ivan and several of the other guards were there ahead of them. They had already captured the intruder, and it was no wayward cat. The man was dressed all in black, and his face was darkened with coal.

'Well,' said Ignatios. 'I don't think you can use the excuse that you got lost, and thought this was your property. Or that you were taking a shortcut. What were you doing?'

'Fuck you!' said the intruder.

'Not right now,' said Ignatios. 'Some other time. Ivan, take our prisoner to the villa. Make him comfortable. I'll be in to talk with him in a while.'

'Yes, Sir.'

Ivan and one of the guards dragged the cursing invader off.

'Not the dungeon, Sir?' asked Brian.

'No,' said the freeman. 'I'm not sure it's a good idea to put those two in the same room together. We might have to build a bigger dungeon.'

'Keep an eye out for any other intruders,' Ignatios warned the guards. 'The wires worked well, but don't count on them to warn us every time. Use your own eyes, always. This intrusion may have been a ruse, to draw our attention away from a real attack.'

The guards saluted, and went back to their posts.

'Let's go and find out what this burglar was after,' Ignatios said to Brian.

Ivan had the intruder tied up and waiting in Ignatios' new office. Ignatios studied the man for a moment.

'My mother always told me to wash behind my ears,' he observed. 'It's good advice.'

'Fuck you,' said the intruder.

'The second piece of advice she gave me, was to develop my vocabulary. I listened to her words of wisdom, and look where it led me. I was a slave, but I didn't let that hold me back. Now, I'm a freeman, and a trusted servant of a powerful family. My masters freed me, and honoured me with their trust. I wouldn't let a blade of grass grow here, against their expressed wishes.'

'You talk too fucking much,' said the invader.

'You don't listen enough,' said Ignatios. 'I know who you are. You're a whore who sells himself for whatever you can get. A meal, a drink -- anything. Someone came up to you on the street, and told you to climb over our walls, and you said yes. That was your first mistake. They told you the masters had gone away, and it was only the slaves here, and we'd be drunk, or asleep, or fucking or something, but not paying attention. Am I right?'

'Fuck you,' said the man.

Ignatios hit him across the face.

'I've never tortured anyone,' he said. 'But I'd like to learn. It might come in useful. You're my first project. You can scream all you want. I hope that drink they gave you for payment was a good one.'

'It wasn't any fucking drink,' said the man. 'They promised me money.'

'Money? Promised? You really are stupid, aren't you? I'd have taken the drink, and asked for it up front.'

There was a scratch at the office door, and a guard poked his head in.

'Ignatios, Sir? The guards on the North wall say they've spotted another invader. He hasn't started to climb the wall yet, but they're sure that's what he's planning.'

'Thanks, Paulus. I'll be right there.'

Ignatios turned to his prisoner. 'Well, man. It looks like you're going to have some company. And as you can see, you were indeed a test shot, fired across our bows. Your employers never meant for you to succeed, and collect your pay. Why do you owe them any loyalty? Think about that, while I go and interview the real invader.'

'You're lying,' said the man. 'You're making all this up.'

'One of those phrases is redundant,' Ignatios pointed out. 'Just like you. I have better things to do than listen to your useless babbling. But don't worry. I'll be back to kill you later.'

He walked out the door, and headed for the North wall. This was turning into an interesting night.

***********************

Starsky watched Artemis run off, followed by her hounds. He drew his first real breath in several minutes. Viggo looked shaken as well. Hutch was as calm as if she'd been discussing the weather with Ignatios.

'What was all that about powers that you don't use?' Starsky asked her.

Hutch seemed to return from a distant place inside herself. She turned, and looked at Starsky as if she only now noticed he was there.

'Arac said that to me too, my Lord. I don't know whether to trust such advice.'

'What advice, Hutch?' Starsky asked gently.

'I don't know whether it is advice, or lies,' said his lover.

Starsky studied her face. She was starting to look pale, and troubled again.

'We'll talk about it in the morning,' Starsky said. 'In daylight. With the sun shining all around us. How can you tell the difference between truth and lies in the dark, when everything is grey?'

'That's just it,' Hutch said. 'Everything is grey. Is it worse to use evil things for good, than it is to use good things for evil?'

'I don't know. I've never thought about it before. But perhaps your confusion lies in your definitions?'

'Definitions, my Lord?'

'Yes. Define evil for me. Define good.'

'That would take all night at least,' Hutch protested.

'At least,' Starsky agreed. 'So, we should go to bed, and get warm and comfortable first.'

Hutch laughed. 'This is a ruse,' she said.

'Of course,' said Starsky. 'The honeymoon is over, and I'm reduced to using ruses to get you into bed.'

'That's not true,' Hutch protested.

'Prove it,' said Starsky.

*************************

'What do you think is the nature of Good and Evil?' Hutch asked.

They were eating breakfast. Starsky couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he had to struggle to keep his eyes open, and his lover wanted to discuss philosophy.

'Honourable Father, you ask difficult questions,' said Mariko.

'I know. And it's probably too early in the morning for this.' Hutch smiled in Starsky's direction. 'But Starsky and I tried to discuss this last night. We didn't get very far.'

Sweet Angel grinned. 'I thought you got pretty far,' she observed.

Hutch grinned back. He didn't look at all put out.

'Well, we discussed good things for a while. Or what seems good to us. But that's it. That's the point. This is no academic problem for me right now. I have to make a decision, one which may affect us all. I need to know your points of view.'

'On the nature of Good and Evil?' asked Mariko.

'Yes. Do we know what they are? Does anyone?'

'I think Good is what creates good. Evil is what causes evil. But there. We're back to defining good and evil again. And everyone has their own definition of that, Honourable Father.'

'That is true,' said Hutch. 'But let's leave aside all the fine points of Good and Evil for now. I think most people would agree that someone who had murdered many innocent people, including babies, was an evil man?'

They all nodded their heads. Hutch continued.

'And I think most would agree that someone who tried to help people was good?'

'Yes,' said Starsky.

'But what if a person wanted to help people, but used evil means? Suppose a man thinks he knows how the world should be run. He wants to help people by making the world better, but others oppose him. So, he starts a war, to force the world to reform. Many innocent people die. Is he good, or evil? And then, on the other hand, suppose there is another man. He is selfish, and only wants power. He doesn't care what happens to anyone else but himself. But in the pursuit of power, he inadvertently helps many people. Is he good?'

'My head hurts,' said Sweet Angel.

'So does mine,' said Hutch. 'I have a power inside me that can do many evil things. I have a plan to use it for good. If I use it, what am I? A good person? Or a monster?'

'That will be determined by the outcome, Honourable Father,' said Mariko.

'And by your intentions,' said Sweet Angel.

'If my intentions are good, and the outcome is good, then what?' asked Hutch. 'Will I become evil, because I've used evil means to do good?'

'No,' said Starsky. 'I won't allow that. And neither will you. As long as you go on questioning yourself, you won't fall into evil. But what is it that you're intending to do, Hutch? Are you intending to start a war, and kill innocent people?'

'No. Nothing like that. I have a plan. A plan that may reveal the truth. I need your co-operation, and your support. I don't want anyone to die.'

'Then what's the problem?' asked Starsky.

'You know what the problem is, my Lord. You know what power I control, and what might happen if it gets loose.'

'I won't get loose,' said Starsky. 'We can control it.'

'I hope you're right.'

'I'll confess something, if you like,' said Hutch. 'Something I've never told anyone else.'

Hutch stared at the ground for a long time, and the others began to wonder if she'd changed her mind.

'This happened a long time ago, you have to understand. I was just a little boy. One day, I was walking along the shore of a fjord. I saw something so strange, for a moment I couldn't believe my eyes.'

Hutch closed her eyes, as if seeing the strange sight again.

'It was four tiny ducklings. All alone. No mother. Mother ducks always stay around to protect their babies. So she must have died of a disease, or been killed, or something. They'll fight to the death for their young, you know?'

Starsky nodded, wondering what was coming next.

'I can still remember how I felt. I wanted to protect the babies, as if they were my own. I wanted to find their mother, if she was still alive. Or take them home and raise them. I called to them, and for a moment, I thought they'd come to me. But they got frightened, and swam off. It was just as well. If they hadn't been eaten by one of our dogs, my father would have given them to the cook, to turn into soup.'

Hutch opened her eyes, with an air of resignation, as if she expected everyone to laugh at her.

'What do you suppose happened to the ducklings, Honourable Father?' Mariko asked, solemnly.

Hutch laughed, bitterly. 'They died of starvation, or were eaten by a hawk,' she said.

'You don't know that,' Starsky pointed out. 'Perhaps their mother found them. Not every story has a sad ending.'

''Most do,' said Hutch.

'No, no, no. You can't think like that, beloved. If you don't know the story ended sadly, you can imagine it ended happily. The mother duck fought off the attackers, and raced after her babies, and they lived happily ever, um, for as long as ducks live.'

'If you say so,' said Hutch.

'Well, I do say so. And I am your Lord and Master after all,' said Starsky, ignoring Mariko's and Sweet Angel's giggles.

'What does this story have to do with our situation?' Starsky asked.

'Nothing much,' said Hutch.

'I don't agree,' said Starsky. 'I don't think that anyone who has such protective feelings about helpless creatures could ever become evil.'

'I hope you're right,' said Hutch. 'But now, I want to introduce you all to my Bound Spirit. The bad one, I mean. Starsky has met him before, but Mariko and Sweet Angel haven't. Perhaps I should have shown him to you before you agreed to join our familias.'

'So we could change our minds, Ken? Never,' said Sweet Angel. 'Not even if you had a whole army of evil spirits inside you.'

'Okay,' said Hutch. He drew a deep breath, and let it out again. A dark shadowy figure emerged. It was cloaked and hooded, but everyone could feel the presence of its sharp eyes.

'Greetings!' hissed the spirit. 'It's so nice to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine again. I feel like a whole new man. You, on the other hand, are a whole new woman. How disgusting.'

'I liked you better when you kept your mouth shut,' said Starsky.

'It's all right, my Lord,' said Hutch. 'His opinion doesn't bother me. But I didn't call you up to banter with you,' he continued to the spirit. 'I have a challenge for you.'

'A challenge?' the spirit sneered.

'Yes. But I'm not sure you can do want I want you to do.'

The Hooded Spirit actually laughed. 'I'm too old for that kind of manipulation,' he said.

'What manipulation?' asked Hutch. 'I truly don't know if you can do what I need.'

'I can do anything,' said the spirit. 'The question is, will I?'

'You will do whatever he tells you to do, remember?' said Starsky.

'Oh, yes. His Lord and Master speaks.'

Starsky got to his feet, and walked over to face the Hooded Spirit. He stared into his dark, empty-looking hood.

'You will do whatever he tells you,' he repeated. 'I know for a fact that I can still cause you pain.'

'And if I obey you?' asked the spirit.

'Then I suppose you will know pleasure again,' said Hutch. 'Your kind of pleasure. But on my terms, or it will be for the last time.'

'What if I don't accept your terms?'

'Then, goodbye. Go back to your place, and I'll never call you out again.'

The Hooded Spirit seemed to consider Hutch's offer. It was silent in the dark forest glade. At last, he nodded.

'Very well,' he said. 'We have a deal.'

'A deal with a demon,' said Hutch.

'Yes,' said the spirit. 'And what are you getting out of this deal?'

'You'll see,' said Hutch.

********************

Ignatios met them at the gate. He looked both proud and embarrassed.

'You were right about the attempts to invade the villa, Mr. Starsky,' he said. 'And your wires worked very well. We caught two men trying to invade, in fact.'

'Two men?' asked Starsky. 'Good work, Ignatios.'

'Thank you, Sir. But there was a problem. One of the men committed suicide, as we were arresting him. He swallowed something that must have been poison, and fell over dead. We still have one of the invaders alive, though he can't tell us much. I don't think he knows much.'

'You think he was a decoy?'

'Definitely. And the real culprit was prepared to die, rather than be taken alive and questioned. I'm very sorry he succeeded, Sir. I should have been prepared.'

'That's not your fault, Ignatios,' said Hutch. 'And it's probable that he couldn't have told us all the truth, after all. Perhaps there's only one person who knows all the truth. But there are pieces of the truth lying around, and we need to put them together.'

'You could have made him tell us what he knew, Hutch,' said Starsky, as soon as they were alone.

'Yes. But I don't think I'd want to waste that power on someone so small.'

'You're right. We want to go after the big guys. Which reminds me, I'm going to talk to someone at the Palace. Will you be okay for a while?'

'Starsky? You're going to talk to my father, aren't you?'

'Well, yes. But only talk. No rough stuff. Not yet, anyway. If he cooperates.'

'I want to come along.… No, I don't mean I want to be in the room when you talk to him. I don't think I could face him yet.'

'Face him? Why should you have trouble facing him? It should be the other way around. But why do you want to come with me? We just got home.'

'I feel fine. Very happy, in fact. And that's why I want to do this now, while I'm feeling strong.'

'Do what?' asked Starsky.

'You'll see,' said Hutch.

 

*******************

 

Neither of them had ever been to the Imperial Palace. The limousine driver took them to a private entrance, where they were met by Prince Marcus' secretary. He led them to the prince's rooms.

'So, you decided to come and talk to my guest,' said Marcus. 'A fitting end to your vacation?'

'Do you have any objection to that?' asked Hutch.

'Who me? No. If Starsky thinks he can beat some sense into him.… Sorry, Hutch. He is your father, and my foster father. But I'm not feeling very filial toward him right now.'

'I know. And I understand,' said Hutch. 'And actually we are here to beat some sense into him, in a way.'

'You are?' asked the prince, looking dubious.

'Yes. We're going to try something. I want to try it out, to see if it works. An experiment. A test case in a safe environment. Do you want to stick around?'

'Are you kidding?' asked Marcus. 'Nothing could drag me away. Well, Sweet Angel could, but I suppose she's still settling in with her new familias, and doesn't want me around.'

'I'm sure she wants you around, Marcus. In fact you're invited for dinner. If we survive this experiment.'

'Now I am intrigued,' said the prince.

****************

Cecil Hutchinson was staring out the window. He got to his feet when Marcus and Starsky entered the room, followed by several Praetorians. He didn't look happy.

'When are you going to let me out of this prison?' he asked.

 

'You haven't been around much, if you call this a prison,' Starsky pointed out, looking around the more than comfortable suite of rooms. 'I'm sure there are many people down in the Subura who would be willing to trade places with you.'

'I'm sure there are,' sneered Hutch's father. 'You should know. You only live a short distance away. Why my son would agree to live in such a place passes my understanding. But then, so does everything he thinks, says or does.'

'I'm here to enlighten your ignorance,' said Starsky. 'Sit down.'

'I beg your pardon? You don't give me orders, boy.'

'I do now,' said Starsky. 'Go!'

'What? Go where? That's just it, I can't leave this room. There are guards on the doors, in case you didn't notice.'

'I noticed,' said Starsky. 'But I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to someone else. Now I'm talking to you. Just exactly what did you think you were doing, invading my home, attacking my husband?'

'Husband? Ken looks more like your wife, at the moment.'

'Yes. She does. My husband. My wife. The mother of our child. My whole world. And you tried to kill her. Why?'

'Kill her? No. Just make her... him, I mean, act normal. Ken has never been normal. He has such strange ideas. And that's my fault. I suppose I wasn't a good enough father. I didn't raise him to be a man. I could tell there was something different about him, as soon as he was born. Perhaps I shouldn't have accepted him, tried to raise him. I should have put him out on the hillside to die. But he was my first son, and I couldn't take the chance I would have another. Now, look at the result.'

Cecil Hutchinson was pacing the room, growing more agitated by the moment.

'I'm not manly enough myself, or I would have had more sons, and raised them to be men, instead of weak women, like Ken. What is the point of living, if your sons turn into women, right in front of everyone, and show the world how weak and womanly they are... and so are you? Life is useless. This world is falling apart, when men turn into women. Women! That's what we all are.'

Cecil Hutchinson threw back his head, and let out a scream of rage. He turned to one of the impassive Praetorians and tried to take his sword. He was bellowing something about wanting to die. Starsky pulled him away from the guard, and Cecil turned on him, with the mad strength of the possessed.

 

The door to Cecil's chamber opened, and Hutch stood there. She watched for a moment, in fascination, as Starsky wrestled her father to the ground. Cecil struggled and cursed, but Starsky held him down. He sobbed in frustration.

'Let me go. I want to die,' he said.

'Father! Look at me,' Hutch commanded.

Cecil Hutchinson looked up. Hutch looked back at him calmly. She stretched out her hand.

'Come back to me,' he said. 'Now!'

For a moment, Hutch seemed to be struggling with some inner pain, then her face grew peaceful again.

'What did you just do?' asked Cecil.

Starsky and I allowed an evil spirit to possess you,' Hutch told him. 'The spirit is bound to me, and must obey my orders. I've removed the spirit from you. Now, answer Starsky's and Marcus' questions, or I'll set the spirit on you again.'

Cecil Hutchinson got to his feet. He stared at Hutch for a long moment in silence. Starsky watched as a number of expressions paraded across his face. Fear. Horror. Disgust.

Admiration.

'You!' he said. 'I didn't know you were capable of such ruthlessness. Perhaps you are my son after all.'

'There's a lot about me you don't know,' said Hutch. 'You've never tried to learn. But then, I've never tried to teach you. If you answer our questions, I'll ask Marcus to let you go. You can come to the villa for dinner, and learn a little more about me. If you persist in being stubborn, I'll hand you over to my Lord, and he can do what he wants with you. I'm sure he has a long list of ideas about that.'

'What do you want to know?' asked Hutch's father.

'Why did you come to Rome, without writing us first?' asked Starsky. 'And why did you wait until I was away from the villa, and then attack Hutch?'

Cecil Hutchinson seemed to struggle with his anger about being interrogated for a minute.

'Answer him, Father,' said Hutch.

'There were rumours. Rumours that Ken had turned into a woman. Then, I got a letter. It was unsigned. It said my son was now my daughter, and was selling herself in the Subura. I didn't believe all that, but I knew Ken was capable of changing his shape. He becomes a woman in the Otherworld. That was bad enough. But I wondered about the letter. Why would someone write these things? There must be more to it, than Ken being a shapechanger. I decided to come to Rome secretly, to learn what was going on. I went to your villa. It appalled me, that Ken was living in such a neighbourhood. It's beneath him. Well, beneath our family status anyway. I wanted to see for myself what was really going on.'

'And when you did see, you decided to kill Hutch?'

'No. I told you. I was teaching him a lesson. He was acting like a bitch in heat. Why not kick him like a dog?'

Cecil stopped, as if shocked by his own words.

'Oh, by all the Gods,' he said. 'What put such ideas into my head? I swear, I'm not usually so full of hate.'

'But you have hated me, all your life,' said Hutch. 'I've always known that. Someone else figured that out, and they played on your hatred somehow. Do you have the letter?'

'The letter? No. I tore it up.'

Hutch sighed. She thought for a moment.

'Who did you talk to, when you first came to Rome? Do you remember?'

Her father shrugged. 'Many people,' he said. 'Senators. Some of the more elite businessmen. A few members of the Imperial Family.'

'That's interesting,' said Marcus. 'No one said anything to me, about you being here.'

'No,' said Cecil Hutchinson. 'I guess your brother doesn't talk to you much.'

****************************

 

The Atrium was set up with tables and chairs. There were too many people at this dinner party for couches in the small dining room. Cecil took his seat at the head table, next to Ephraim Starsky.  
Hutch tapped her glass, to call for silence.

'My father and I have decided to reconcile our differences,' she said. 'I want you all to welcome him to our familias.'

Cecil got to his feet, and bowed. Everyone applauded.

Starsky smiled, wryly. 'How much do you trust him?' he asked Hutch.

'About as much as I trust the Hooded Spirit,' said Hutch. 'But at least he's nominally on our side. Let's use that to our advantage.'

**************************

 

'No, Mr. Hutchinson. I don't think you understand our marriage at all.'

'Please,' said Cecil Hutchinson. 'Call me Father.'

When pigs fly, thought Starsky. He glanced across the courtyard at Hutch. She was watching carefully, as Starsky chatted with her father. Starsky smiled, to say all was well, and they were getting along. He knew Hutch wasn't fooled, but as long as Starsky wasn't flaying Cecil Hutchinson alive, all was well, and they were getting along about as much as could be expected.

'I love Hutch. I love Hutch no matter what form his body takes. He's strong, and beautiful, and the most wonderful person I've ever known. And if you ever hurt him, in any way, ever again, our little armistice is off. The last sight you see in this world will be your own heart beating on the ground before you, while your skin hangs from you in strips. And I'll pray that you spend eternity in Hades being tortured by demons. Got that?'

Starsky smiled, as if they were discussing the weather. Hutch was an intelligent person. She knew Starsky hated her father. But Starsky saw no value in rubbing that hatred in Hutch's face at every opportunity. In spite of everything, Hutch loved her parents. She wanted their love in return. Starsky was going to see to it that she got that love, or a reasonable facsimile, at least.

'Do you really think you could get away with it?' asked Cecil Hutchinson. He seemed curious, rather than afraid.

Starsky leaned forward, as if exchanging intimate confidences.

'Mr. Hutchinson, you really don't know me well at all. Yet. Your family might be a power to be reckoned with in Norway, but this is Rome. I am friends with several members of the Imperial family, and soon, our association will be even closer. And have you forgotten my little demonstration with Hutch's pet evil spirit so soon?'

'No,' said Cecil. 'But murder is still illegal, even here in Rome, isn't it? Even if my familias didn't have the power to arrest you, they could appeal to the Emperor, or the Senate for restitution.'

'Murder?' asked Starsky. 'If I killed you right now, here in the courtyard, it wouldn't be murder. It would be justifiable punishment.'

'For what?' sneered Cecil. 'For disciplining my own son? A junior member of my familias?'

'Hutch doesn't belong to your familias any more. He belongs to mine. In fact, he belongs to me, absolutely. You have no authority over him, and I can deny you the right to see him any time I please. The only reason you're here, and not in some stinking cell waiting for your execution, is that I love Hutch, and would never cause him such pain. Remember that, Mr. Hutchinson. As long as Hutch goes on loving you, and thinking of you as his father, you can go on enjoying life. If you do anything to change that, it will be the last thing you ever do. Smile.'

'What?'

'I said, smile. Hutch is looking at us. Pretend we're good friends. Pretend that as if your life depends on it, because it does. I'm going to get another drink. Want one?'

Starsky strolled over to the bar. Mlukukh joined him. Starsky bowed.

'Goddess,' he said. 'I'm so glad you could be with us tonight. You're looking well. In fact, you're glowing.'

She was. A faint light shone around her, as if she'd captured some of the light of the moon in her white gown.

'Thank you, my dear,' she said. 'You look pretty good yourself. Threatening people with dismemberment must agree with you.'

Starsky laughed. 'It does,' he said. 'Not as much as actually dismembering them, but that wouldn't do tonight, would it?'

'No. As evening entertainment goes, it would be a bit extreme. Music. Dancing. Those new fireworks, maybe. But torture?'

'No. You're right. We'll leave that for a more fitting time and place. Hutch is looking happy.'

'She is. Cecil Hutchinson's father devotion might be pretence, but that's better than nothing. Even if Hutch doesn't really believe in it.'

'I'm working on making the act more believable,' said Starsky.

********************************

The streets of Rome were crowded with onlookers, as if the trial were a public festival. The City Guard, along with Marcus' own contingent of Praetorians, were holding them back from the steps of the Senate. Starsky wondered what they thought they were going to see, that they hadn't seen before. He doubted there was anyone in Rome who hadn't witnessed an execution. Those who had lived through the time of the assassinations, and the rise of the present Emperor, had witnessed hundreds. Perhaps some people never got enough vicarious suffering.

That was something Starsky didn't understand. He was not tender hearted, not about strangers anyway. He'd handed out his fair share of pain in his short lifetime, and he intended to deliver more before he died. But all those to whom he caused pain had deserved it, for the suffering they had caused him and those he loved. He would never want to watch another person's agony for his own entertainment.

They were riding in Marcus' limousine. Next to Hutch was Mariko, armed as a Samurai warrior. To the teeth. Determined to die in the service of her new Warlord. Starsky sincerely hoped that would be unnecessary.

Cecil Hutchinson sat across from them. Once or twice, Starsky glimpsed an odd look in the man's eyes. Was he wondering what he was doing here, showing parental support? Was he still speculating on the nature of his son's marriage? Or did he simply need to see an eye doctor?

They had sent their prisoners on ahead some hours ago, with Ignatios in charge. Starsky hadn't wanted to risk a last minute rescue attempt. This trial was going ahead as planned. Then he was going to mete out justice, in his own fashion.

As they got out of the limousine, the crowd roared. That was interesting, thought Starsky. It seemed they had become celebrities, overnight. Someone shouted obscene questions to Starsky, speculating about the size of his cock. Starsky shouted a measurement back. Hutch laughed.

'That's a rather inflated figure, my Lord,' she said. 'Even I'm not that big. When I'm male, that is. And size isn't everything.'

'No? Since when? Doesn't everyone want some part of their anatomy to be bigger?'

'Are you suggesting my tits should be bigger?' asked Hutch.

'I'm not suggesting any such thing,' said Starsky.

'Well, they will be, eventually. Along with my belly, and my ankles, and....'

'Here we are,' said Starsky, before Hutch could continue her litany of complaints. Perhaps he'd drop all comments on body parts for a while. Talk about the weather, or something equally neutral.

On the other hand, Cecil Hutchinson was looking queasy. Perhaps he'd take up discussing pregnancy on a regular basis. Perhaps that was why Hutch had started her litany in the first place.

The elaborately carved doors to the Senate opened, and the Senate Guard stood waiting to escort them into the Chamber.

'Please surrender all weapons,' said the Captain of the Guard. 'They are not permitted in the Chamber, but will be returned to you when you leave.'

It was likely that Mariko was as happy about this as was Starsky himself, but she handed over her sword, and her long knife. Starsky imagined she had one or two other weapons concealed on her person, but he said nothing. No more than he spoke up about the small pistol hidden in his boot.

The representatives of Starsky's familias took their seats in the gallery. Most of the Senate seemed to be in their places already. After a few minutes, there was a stir, and Sweet Angel, accompanied by two of her personal slaves, entered the Senate Chamber. She made her way toward Starsky and Hutch, and sat down beside her sister, Mariko. Starsky could hear the murmurs, but ignored them. He took his daughter's hands, and greeted her as a father would. Hutch did the same.

When the small fuss had quieted down, there was a sudden blare of trumpets. Everyone got to their feet, and waited. The Senate doors opened wide, and Prince Marcus made his entrance, surrounded by Praetorians. The entire chamber bowed. The prince acknowledged their bows with a nod of his head, then strode over to join the Starsky familias in the gallery. He sat down beside Sweet Angel.

When the Senate Chamber had grown quiet once again, the Head of the Senate, Senator Templar, rose to address the Chamber.

'Fellow Senators. Honoured guests. We are gathered together today for a most unusual enterprise. A trial, here in the Senate Chambers, of several common criminals. Why are we trying these criminals, you might ask? Shouldn't the men who arrested them, have already executed them? Prince Marcus, and David Starsky are respected men, of good judgement. They are fully capable of determining who is guilty of a crime, and carrying out the appropriate punishment. Yet, they are also men who believe in justice, more than they believe in their own right to judge. They believe that this trial is the best thing for Rome. They believe that the Senate should see that justice is served. Let us fulfil their trust in us.'

'Fiat!'

The entire Senate spoke as one.

Senator Templar turned to the gallery.

'Your Imperial Highness, Prince Marcus. Please address the Senate, and give us your testimony. Do you swear by your testicles that what you say is true.?'

Hutch choked on her laughter. Starsky gave her a dark look of reproof, which she ignored. Prince Marcus gave her a quick smile, before getting to his feet.

'I swear on my testicles that what I say is the truth. All the truth. And only the truth. May the Gods and Goddesses of Rome be my witnesses.'

He walked out into the centre of the Senate floor.

'Senators. Romans. Honoured guests of Rome. For some time now, a dangerous cult has been operating within our nation. We are a tolerant nation. We allow almost any form of religious practice. We do not question the beliefs of anyone who follows the laws of Rome. However, that tolerance does not extend to allowing criminal activities, such as child prostitution, or human sacrifice, to be carried out in the name of any religion. The Gods and Goddesses of Rome bring peace, and love, and justice for all. And so we shall see. Please. Have the prisoners escorted to the Senate Chamber.'

The smaller back door to the Chamber opened, and the prisoners, John Douglas among them, were led out in chains. All were clean, and capable of walking on their own. As anyone could see, they had not been abused more than they deserved. Starsky could hear the murmurs of approval.

Prince Marcus spoke up again. 'These are the men whom we arrested for their crimes. The selling of children as prostitutes. The rape of children under the age of twelve. Assault. Abduction. Attempted murder. Invasion of a private residence. Evil sorcery. We accuse them of all these crimes.'

'Thank you, Your Imperial Highness, Prince Marcus. You men! What do you say to these charges?'

One of the accused stepped forward.

'We are innocent of all these charges, Senator.'

'Do all of you protest your innocence?' asked Senator Templar.

There was a general murmur of ayes.

'Very well,' said the Senator. 'Have it recorded that the accused prisoners state their innocence. Prince Marcus, I hand the floor back to you.'

'Thank you, Senator Templar. I am handing the floor over to David Starsky. David Starsky, please step forward.'

Starsky got to his feet, and walked down into the centre of the Senate floor, a place where he never thought to be. He was dressed in his best toga, but still, it was the toga of a citizen of Rome, not that of the Senatorial class. He didn't doubt that there were some here today, who saw his presence as an affront to the dignity of the Senate. Bugger them, he thought. He knew his own worth. He was as good as anyone here, and better than some. Certainly there was nothing wrong with his testicles, as anyone could see. By all the Gods and Goddesses, he could even get a man pregnant.

'David Starsky. Do you swear by your testicles that what you say here is true?'

Starsky carefully avoided looking in Hutch's direction.

'I swear by my testicles that what I say today in the Senate Chamber is the truth. All the truth. And only the truth. May the Gods and Goddesses of Rome be my witnesses.'

'Thank you, David Starsky. Now, give us your testimony.'

'David Starsky. Describe to the Senate all your dealings with the men who stand accused before us.'

'Thank you, Senator Templar. Several months ago, my husband and I travelled to the town of Perugia.'

'Is your husband here in the Senate, Mr. Starsky?'

'Yes. Please stand up, Kenneth Hutchinson.'

Hutch got to her feet. There were murmurs of wonderment. Senator Templar spoke up.

'Is this indeed your husband, Mr. Starsky? He has the appearance of a woman, and a woman with child.'

'That is true, Senator, but it is my husband. I will testify to that, and so will others of my familias, and the Hutchinson familias. Mr. Hutchinson? Please rise and address the Senate. Do you swear by your testicles, that this is your son, Kenneth Hutchinson, and that he is my husband.'

Cecil Hutchinson got to his feet. He looked pale, but he did as Starsky asked. Or rather, as Starsky had ordered him to do the night before.

'I swear by my testicles that this is my son, Kenneth Hutchinson. He is indeed the husband of David Starsky.'

'Thank you, Mr. Hutchinson. My husband is now a woman because of various actions taken by these accused men. May I continue?'

'Certainly, Mr. Starsky.'

'When my husband and I entered the town of Perugia, we exchanged a simple kiss of affection, in the street. Several young men attacked us, verbally and with stones. They told us they belonged to a religion which forbade two men to kiss or to make love.'

'And what was your answer to this attack?'

'I pushed one of the young men to the ground, and told him to behave. Then, I handed him over to his father for punishment.'

'Is that all you did?'

'Yes, Senator. He was young, and badly raised. I think he deserved harsher punishment, but that wasn't our purpose in visiting the town.'

'Do any of the accused have any comments to make about David Starsky's testimony so far? Do you have any evidence that what he says is untrue?'

One of the young men spoke up.

'Those men were kissing in the street,' he said. 'It was disgusting. Our God says that....'

'Silence!' said Senator Templar. 'I didn't ask about your religious beliefs. I asked about the events that took place in the town of Perugia on that day. Did one of you throw stones at these men?'

'Yes, we threw stones at them, as our God commands.'

'And how did they react?'

'David Starsky called us names,' said the young man.

There was a general roar of laughter, throughout the Senate Chamber.

'By Jupiter's balls,' said Senator Templar. 'I'd have done worse than that. Far worse. Please, Mr. Starsky. Continue your testimony.'

'My husband and I were in Perugia investigating several suspicious deaths. Later we discovered that the religious cult that had thrown stones at us were involved in these deaths. The victims had been sacrificed to their God. Prince Marcus arrested some of the cult members, and executed them, as was proper.'

'We disagree,' said one of the accused.

'Are you saying that you didn't make human sacrifice to your God?' asked the Senator.

'We disagree that the prince acted properly,' said the prisoner. 'Our God states....'

He was drowned out by a roar of disapproval.

Once again, Senator Templar instructed the prisoners to stick to the facts.

'No one here is interested in what your God states, especially at second hand,' he said. 'If your God has testimony to give, let Him enter the Senate Chamber now, and be sworn in.'

There was a long moment of silence, but no God appeared.

'Well,' said the Senator. 'Let us proceed.'

'Some weeks later, one of the cult members started hanging around outside my villa. He was watching Hutch, my husband. One day, he asked to be allowed inside, to speak to Hutch. We let him in for a few minutes, and when he became abusive, we ordered him to leave. He did so, but later that night, my husband became ill. His illness was caused by a plant, called Mage Bane. The plant took away his mage powers, and left him helpless to the attackers who abducted and tortured him. The man who planted the weeds is here in the room. John Douglas, step forward.'

John Douglas stepped out of the line of prisoners. His head was up, his eyes as defiant as they had always been.

'John Douglas, do you swear by your testicles that what you say here is the truth?' asked Senator Templar.

'I will swear by my God, that what I say here is my God's truth,' said John Douglas.

'That isn't good enough,' said Senator Templar. 'If you will not swear properly, you will not be allowed to speak. We might declare a mistrial, and hand you over to David Starsky for punishment.'

John Douglas was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded.

'Yes,' he said. 'I swear by my testicles that what I say here is true.'

'David Starsky. Continue,' said the Senator.

Starsky looked deeply into John Douglas' eyes.

'Tell the Senate the truth,' he said. 'You planted those weeds that led to my husband being abducted.'

'No,' said John Douglas. 'Everything you say here is a lie. You are all liars. Your marriage is a lie. A man cannot marry another man. Your religion is a lie. You should only worship one God. Our God.'

'Thank you,' said Starsky. 'But you have given us no proof that you didn't attack my husband. You entered my villa, and a few hours later, my husband became ill. I consulted the oracles, and they led me to you. I found you in bed with a girl, under the age of twelve. In your home, which was a child brothel by the way, Prince Marcus found Mage Bane seeds, magically treated to grow faster than normal. Prince Marcus? Will you testify to the truth of this?'

'I will. I found the seeds myself. I had them tested. They were the seeds of Mage Bane. The seeds of the plant which made my foster brother ill.'

'Now,' said Starsky to John Douglas. 'What do you say to that?'

John Douglas was silent. Out of the corner of his eye, Starsky had been watching Hutch. He saw her close her eyes, and take a deep breath. He took a deep breath of his own, praying that what was about to happen wouldn't be too much of a strain on his lover's resources. He turned back to John Douglas.

'Tell us the truth, as you have sworn to do, or I will tear off your balls right now. Tell us the truth, and perhaps we'll show you mercy. You helped to abduct my husband, I know that. He was tortured, and he had to take the form of a woman to escape. Now, he's trapped for a time in a body not his own. All that is your fault, and I shouldn't promise you any mercy. But I will, if you tell us all why you did these things. Why do you cover for your friends? They're not really your friends, you know? They sent someone to kill you, just the other day.'

'You're lying,' said Douglas.

'I'm not lying,' said Starsky. 'I've never lied, not one word I've said is a lie. The man is still alive, waiting to give testimony, in exchange for mercy. You can do the same.'

For a moment, Starsky thought his tactic might work, and spare Hutch. But Douglas only wavered for a moment, then his face hardened.

'You're lying,' he repeated. 'My friends are loyal to me, and to the cause. I don't believe they'd kill me. But if they did, it would be for the cause.'

'Fine,' said Starsky. 'Have it your way.'

He almost felt the Hooded Spirit enter John Douglas. He watched Hutch closely. Her face was pale and strained, as she held control over the dangerous ghost.

'You know, don't you, why they wanted to kill you? They know you're not pure, the way you're supposed to be.'

'What do you mean?' asked Douglas.

'They know what I know. They know why you agreed to help abduct my husband. They know you wanted him for yourself.'

'That's a lie!' screamed the boy. 'I hate him. I hated him then, and I hate him more now he's a woman. That's what he should be, though. It's a punishment, sent by my God, and it proves you're evil sinners. I never wanted him. That's a lie. God! God punishes men who lie with other men. We have to stone them. Stone them, do you understand. I couldn't want him. I can't want him. His eyes. They kept looking at me. I could see them, even from across the street. Every day, for days. His eyes. So blue. And his body. Those long legs, and his thighs. I used to dream of putting my cock between those thighs. Feeling his muscles squeezing me. It's not right. He made me feel that way. He deserves to die. You all deserve to die.'

Starsky was beginning to wonder if he'd get anything more useful out of this stupid boy than a description of his wet dreams about Hutch. Not that he blamed the kid. Hutch was a walking wet dream, in any shape or form.

 

'Yeah, little boy,' he said. 'We all deserve to die, just to spare you the shame of your own normal desires. What kind of religion is it, that teaches you that people deserve to die for wanting to fuck? Explain that to me, because I don't get it.'

'Why should I explain it to you? I tried before, but I failed.'

'Did they punish you for your failure?' asked Starsky.

'Who? Who?'

He was losing the boy, Starsky thought. The kid was drowning in his guilt. He looked over at Hutch. Hutch got to her feet, and stepped down onto the Senate floor.

Senator Templar moved to stop her, but then came to his senses. She was, after all, a pregnant woman, and not to be trifled with. He chided her gently, instead. 'Now now, my dear. You know that's not allowed. Women may sit in the gallery, but not take the floor, or speak.'

Starsky waited for Hutch to pull out the knife hidden in the bosom of her dress, and cut off Senator Templar's balls with them, but she managed to restrain herself.

'Ah, but Senator, I'm not really a woman,' she lied. 'I've only taken this form temporarily. I assure you I have a good set of testicles to swear on. And besides, I'm not giving testimony, I only want to question the accused, if my Lord will let me.'

As if I could stop you, thought Starsky. He waved Hutch forward.

'I did have a good set of balls,' she said to Douglas. 'You wanted to touch them, didn't you? I remember how you looked at me, the day you came to the villa.'

'Shut up, bitch,' the boy screamed at her.

'What did they promise you, if you helped them? That you could have whatever was left of me, when they were done?'

'No. Not that.'

'Then what? What could be better than getting to fuck me? Getting to fuck all the little girls you want?'

'No. No. It's nothing like that. I'd have done anything for him. For nothing.'

'Yes. And then he sent someone to kill you. He did, you know. We have the proof.'

'I don't believe you. He'd never do that. He promised. And he always keeps his promises.'

'Well, I guess he doesn't think you're worth the trouble then,' said Hutch. 'Or maybe he's not worth the trouble. Maybe he's not worth being loyal to.'

'He's worth more than you,' said Douglas. 'You're pretty, or you were, but he's far above you. And he's going to rule Rome some day.'

'Who?' sneered Hutch. 'That sorcerer? Arac?'

'Arac? God, no. You're stupid, like all women. I'm talking about the prince. Prince -- Ugh!

John Douglas fell forward, an arrow protruding from his back. Starsky threw himself over Hutch. The Praetorians threw themselves around Prince Marcus. The Senate Guards stormed the Chamber, pushing people to the ground in their haste to catch the assassin.

The assassin had vanished, as if he had never existed. But John Douglas lay dead on the Senate floor.

The Senate Chamber was in a turmoil. It wasn't the first time someone had been killed upon its hallowed floor, nor would it be the last. But in all the former cases, the killer had committed his offence openly. Now it seemed there was a covert assassin in the Chamber, and anyone could be his next victim.

Starsky was trying to keep Hutch underneath him, but she was having none of that.

'Let me up,' she snarled in his face.

'People are being shot at,' he snarled back. 'You could be the next.'

'So we should cower on the floor, like, like cowards?' she asked, in disbelief. Before he could answer that he thought it was the sensible approach, considering the alternative, she kneed him in his balls, twisted out of his grip, and flipped him over on his back. Mariko had a lot to answer for, he thought.

'We've missed everything that's been going on,' said Hutch, as she got to her feet.

'That's too bad,' he muttered to himself.

The Senate Chamber more resembled a kicked ants nest, than the Halls of Justice. Praetorians were trying to protect the prince, as he examined the body of John Douglas. The other prisoners were huddling together, fearing they would be the next victims. The Senate Guard, and some of the Senators, were searching behind doorways and curtains, looking for the murderer.

'Fire!' someone screamed.

Smoke began to pour through the doorways and air vents, into the Chamber. Most of the guests, and a few of the Senators headed for the doors, only to be overcome by smoke, and pass out. Some were trampled by those behind them.

'It's not a fire,' Hutch shouted. 'Stay where you are.'

She was ignored, of course, and probably not only because she was a woman. People were panicking, and unable to listen to any voice of reason.

'Is this some new form of magic?' asked Hutch. 'I don't feel the presence of magic, or any mage or veneficus.'

Mariko and Sweet Angel had joined them on the Senate floor. They both looked pale, but brave, and unlike many of the men around them, not ready to panic in the near future. Mariko had drawn her hidden knives, and she was holding them close to her body.

'I don't think it's magic, Honoured Fathers,' she said. 'This reminds me of something.'  
There was a flicker of black, off to one side. Then another.

'Ninja!' said Mariko. She shouted something in the language of Nippon, and one of the black-clad invaders stopped for a split second. Mariko's wrist flicked, and her knife vanished from her hand, and appeared in the chest of the invader. He fell to the floor.

The smoke was growing thicker. It was getting harder to breathe. Starsky lifted the edge of his toga to cover his face, but it wasn't enough. This is stupid, he thought, just standing here waiting to die from smoke, or an assassin's arrow or bullet or knife. But what are the other choices? To be trampled while trying to run out the doors?

'The smoke's clearing, my Lord,' said Hutch.

Starsky lowered his toga. The smoke was indeed clearing away. The Senate chamber was littered with bodies. People huddled against the walls, coughing. Prince Marcus and a few of his Praetorians were the only others left standing, besides Starsky and his familias. Are we the brave ones, or the stupid ones, he wondered? Is there even a difference?

'The prisoners have escaped,' Hutch noted.

'Or been killed,' said Marcus.

Indeed, several of the prisoners lay dead beside John Douglas. The others had vanished. The black-clad assassin lay on the floor, with Mariko's knife in his chest, however. He was still alive, and his eyes looked up at them with cold defiance. Starsky examined the wound. It didn't look fatal.

'This is pretty,' said Marcus. 'We lose all our old prisoners, and gain a new one.'

'But an interesting new one, Your Highness,' said Mariko. She bent down, and pulled back the man's hood.

'He is one of my countrymen,' she said. 'A Ninja.' She spoke to him in the language of Nippon, and he glowered, and looked away, and refused to answer.

'He is probably ronin,' she said. 'Men without masters. A respectable Ninja would be working for a Shogun, carrying out covert operations, assassinating enemies who could not be taken care of openly. If he is so far from home, he must have lost his way, like me.'

Then she smiled at Starsky and Hutch. 'But I was lucky, and found a new way,' she said.

*********************************

 

'How could you do something so stupid?' Arac shouted. Screamed rather, like the hawk he was named for. 'Why couldn't you stick to the plan?'

'Because the plan wasn't working,' Prince Colin screamed back. 'It wasn't working. Everything we did just made them stronger. That bitch! She actually had the nerve to use the spirit. Your spirit, the one you lost to her, by the way, and couldn't get back. So don't talk to me about stupidity, and not sticking to plans. The brat was going to reveal everything, with one more word.'

'And you haven't revealed everything?' asked Arac. 'You think they don't know what prince Douglas was talking about?'

'Of course they know,' said Colin, as if talking to a child. 'But they have no actual proof, because Douglas didn't say my name, and they have no other witnesses who know my name, which means the Senate cannot act openly. My father cannot act openly. His Royal Fucking Highness, The Crown Prince Marcus cannot act openly.'

'Then why are we running?' asked Arac, reasonably.

'Because they can still have me killed, and make it look like an accident. I can die of a fever, or be thrown by my horse, or be shot in a hunting accident. The possibilities are endless. I'd rather run, and take my chances, and look guilty. Then, I can come back, and take over the throne, and force the Senate to agree I was innocent. Just like my father did. Everyone knows he and Mother were behind the assassinations. But everyone is too scared to say so.'

Why did I ever throw in my lot with an idiot like you, Arac wondered. But he knew the answer. He was desperate. He was still desperate. Nothing was working the way he planned. And his enemies got stronger, as he got weaker. Kenneth Hutchinson was stronger as a woman than she had been as a man. She had been afraid of the Hooded Spirit then. Now, she was using its powers in the middle of a Senate trial.

Arac looked around at his remaining followers. There weren't many, but he could always gather more, he thought. Make Prince Colin look like a romantic figure, unjustly exiled from his proper position as the real Crown Prince. There were always stupid people in the world, ready to fall behind any hopeless cause. Of course Colin would never win the throne from Marcus. But in the meantime, Arac could gather his own power. Find someone better suited to put on the throne. In the meantime, he supposed he could bear with the child's stupidity a little longer.

*****************************

'Well, that was a bit of a disaster,' said the Emperor, from his throne.

'Not really, Father. I think it was a success, in many ways. The Senate is completely behind us, now. I think everyone knows I'm not a budding tyrant, and that entire business with the Cult, was just a cover to take power in Rome. No one is going to believe anything they say now. John Douglas' words are being quoted on every corner.'

'I suppose you're right. But I wish we had some proof of what Colin is up to. Then we could move against him.'

'If I may say so, Your Majesty,' Hutch spoke up. 'It might work out better this way. One of Prince Colin's plots, was to make Prince Marcus look like a tyrant, and himself like the innocent young prince, who would be the better alternative. Now that he's fled, how can he return and use that ruse again?'

'You'd be surprised, my dear,' said the Emperor. 'But I thank you for your very brave efforts on behalf of my son, my loyal son, I should say. And I thank your entire familias.'

'Thank you, Your Majesty. I should point out, you are speaking of David Starsky's familias.'

'Ah. Thank you, David Starsky, and all of your familias. You are loyal citizens of Rome. My wife tells me that you have recently adopted two daughters, and that my son, Prince Marcus, is enamoured of one of them.'

'Um, yes Your Majesty,' Starsky managed to stammer. This was the moment of truth, he thought. He wondered if the gratitude the Emperor felt would be enough to see them through.

Prince Marcus took pity on him. 'I do love one of their daughters, Father. I wish to marry her.'

'Well, I don't see why you should not marry a daughter of such a loyal and brave family,' said the Emperor. 'I hear that her name is Sweet Angel. Is she in the room?'

'Yes, Father. May I introduce her to you?'

'Of course, my son,' said the Emperor.

Prince Marcus took Sweet Angel's hand, and led her toward the throne. The throne room was silent, and everyone watched. The Emperor got up from his throne, as they drew near, and took Sweet Angel's hands in his own.

'You are a very lovely woman,' said the Emperor. 'And brave as well. I think you know that there will be people who will hate you, for what you were. But what matters, is what you are. Don't you agree?'

'Yes, Your Majesty,' said Sweet Angel.

'Or perhaps what matters, is what you can be,' the Emperor went on. 'I have seen the changes in my son, since he met you, and became such good friends with your familias. He is stronger, and more sure of himself. I think your family is good for him. The strength you give him is more important than any social standing some other woman might bring to the marriage. I love his mother, and I want him to have the same happiness. From this moment, your past is your past. You are a woman from a respectable Roman familias. Act like it. I hereby grant Prince Marcus the right to join with you in marriage.'

Sweet Angel was speechless. Prince Marcus managed to choke out some words of thanks, through his tears.

Hutch laughed happily, but then she swayed on her feet, and Starsky caught her in his arms.

'Marcus!' he called. 'I think I need to get Hutch home. This has been too long a day for her. I'm sorry.'

'Of course,' said the Emperor, as Marcus and Sweet Angel ran to Starsky's side. 'I must apologize for keeping you so long. Allow me to give you an escort home.'

Starsky looked up at the Emperor of most of the known world. The most powerful man in that world. I know where Marcus gets his character from, he thought. This man, and his wife. Whatever happened with Colin?

'Thank you, Your Majesty,' he said. 'Hutch hasn't been well, lately. And the baby....'

'Take her home, and take care of her,' said the Emperor. 'And call on my familias for any help you need.'

He clapped his hands, and his own Steward appeared. 'Provide my friends with an escort to their home,' he said. 'Set a guard around the gates, just in case. I want to be sure my future daughter-in-law is safe.'

The Steward bowed. He didn't look surprised, but then servants rarely were. The Imperial staff probably had a bet on whether or not Sweet Angel would be accepted. Colin's plans to discredit the prince, and ruin his life, had backfired, thought Starsky, and it served him right. It was never good policy to work against your own familias.

*********************

'Starsky. The smoke. Why are you burning those leaves again? Put them out.'

'It's just for a short time, beloved. You were having seizures again, but only a few. They stopped as soon as we lit the brazier. When we're sure you're going to be all right, we'll put it out. Like the last time, remember?'

'I remember. But I don't like it. The leaves smell.'

'I know. But they saved your life before. And the baby's life.'

'The baby,' said Hutch. Her face grew peaceful. 'The baby's fine. I just felt it kick me.'

'Did you? It must take after you,' said Starsky.

'What do you mean?' asked Hutch. 'I don't go around kicking people.'

'You kicked me. This morning in the Senate Chamber. Right in the balls.'

'Well. You deserved it,' she said. 'Men and their testicles. I don't have any testicles at the moment, so I can't speak in the Senate. We'll see about that.'

She fell asleep, plotting the downfall of the Senate as an all-male institution.

*****************

'I don't think he knows any more than he's told us, Your Highness,' said Mariko. 'But we should go on torturing him, anyway.'

'Why?' asked the prince, out of professional curiosity.

'He expects it. He's prepared for it. If we don't oblige him, he'll despise us for being weak and gullible. And for not letting him show his courage.'

The prince nodded in agreement, and waved the Imperial Torturer back to his task. The Imperial Torturer duly applied more pain and suffering to their prisoner, who bravely stifled his moans and screams as much as he could.

'It's as I supposed, Your Highness,' said Mariko. 'He's ronin. He was a Ninja, an assassin for a great Warlord in Nippon. But his Lord lost a gamble for more power. This man was left masterless. If he'd been a Samurai, he would have committed Seppuku. But he became a bandit instead. And he took various short-term jobs as a paid assassin. Then, one day someone approached him to ask if he'd like to travel the world, see Rome, and other foreign countries. He ended up here. But truly I don't think he knows much about what's going on. With the politics, I mean. He has no loyalty to those who hired him. Why should he? They're foreigners. I felt much the same, until my Honourable Fathers adopted me.'

'So he wouldn't be a witness that it was Prince Colin who was plotting against us?'

'He never heard his employer's name, or saw his face. He remembers a sorcerer, named Arac. But we knew about him already.'

'I suppose we should kill this man,' said Marcus.

'It is up to you, Your Highness,' said Mariko. 'But truly, I think that would be a waste of good talent. This man, as I say, has no loyalty to those he worked for. They were merely foreigners, and thus inferior. He only served them for the pay. But we can win his loyalty, if we treat him right. He's a skilled assassin. That's something the Starsky familias lacks.'

'You want to add this man to your household?' asked the prince.

'Unless you want him.' answered Mariko.

'By Jupiter's Balls, no. He's yours. Though I'd speak to one of your Honoured Fathers before making this bandit an offer.'

'I will, Your Highness,' said Mariko. 'But I think David Starsky will appreciate some of his talents. I can tell you stories about the Ninja.'

Their own particular Ninja gave an especially loud scream. Prince Marcus decided the torture had gone far enough to satisfy everyone's honour, and called a halt. The session had been getting boring, with no interesting revelations to spice it up.

'Get the man cleaned up,' he said to one of his servants. 'We'll want to talk to him again later. And come with me, Mariko. Let's go see Sweet Angel. Tell us all about the Ninja.'

************************

Cecil Hutchinson was walking in the garden. He didn't much care for this part of Rome, but he had to admit his son had fixed the villa up nicely. Perhaps the area was ready to be gentrified, and his son had made a good investment. Certainly his familias was becoming powerful. The Emperor himself had called him his friend. And his son's adopted daughter was indeed going to be the Empress one day, if all went well. David Starsky was right, he thought. A man should love his children for what they were, and not try to change them. He should go to Ken, tell him he was sorry. Make a real story of it. He wondered if Ken would believe that he'd suffered a small stroke, and wasn't himself, but now he'd recovered. That would win his son's sympathy, he knew.

****************************

Mlukukh, the ancient Goddess of Love, was strolling in the gardens as well. It was a cool evening, but the smell of the late spring flowers gave the promise of a beautiful day to come. I need to exercise my talents, she thought. Who can I tempt to the joys of love? Everyone here is married, or soon to be married. Then she smiled. The Subura, she thought. It was close by. All those people, looking for a warm body. An anonymous warm body. She could make one or two of them fall in love, and it would serve them right. She wrapped herself in a dark cloak, and set out to cause some mischief.

**************************

 

They were fighting Arac together. Hutch and Viggo, and Starsky too, though Starsky was blind. The veneficus had torn out his eyes, to force him to give up his lover's heart. Now, they stood together, to protect their child. Starsky was not going to give up, no matter what it cost him. He could hear Arac, hear his breathing, hear the rustle of his wings. He waited for the hawk to attack once more.

'It's all right, Starsky,' said Hutch. 'We've defeated him. We've chased him off. We can go home.'

'Can we?' asked Starsky. 'I'm tired of fighting, but I can still hear the hawk's wings.'

'No. He's gone. We're safe. I'm sure.'

'I hope you're right,' said Starsky. 'But I'm listening for his return. I don't think Arac will give up so easily.'

'No,' said Hutch. 'But you saved me. You saved my heart, and you saved our child. Arac has no power that can defeat our love.'

Hutch helped him mount their horse. Starsky held the baby in his arms, and Hutch kicked the horse into a gallop. They started for home.

Starsky could still hear the rustle of wings, following them through the dark, trackless forest.

 

*** The End ***


End file.
